The New Teacher
by Bubblewing-luvs-anime
Summary: Sakura is the young new teacher. Syaoran is the hot badboy. She doesn't take crap. Nor does he. They give each other attitude all the time, but when they're close, they get lost in each other's gaze...but why? This is messing up both their worlds...
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

**Hello to everyone out there who decided to read this story! :D The name may change later on, but this is all I could come up with right now;). You may have read my other CCS story, Guardians of Tomoeda. Hello to you too! (If you haven't, you should check it out.-plug:P-)**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I pulled on my heels and grabbed my bag, snatching one last look in the mirror before stepping out the door.

My stomach did little flips as I drove my car over to the new school. I was starting as a year eleven teacher today! I was so excited! They said I was the youngest teacher they've ever had-I'm only 20. But, I had connections…heheheh….

Before I knew it, I was at the school, and drove into a parking spot in the teacher area. My car was rather flashy (Lamborghini) and it turned some heads. Some boys whistled and shouted, and I found myself blushing.

I had a few, er, flashy things due to my connections to Yue Reed and Keroberos, the two heartthrobs of the world. I was a close friend, and they tended to go over board with gifts.

I pushed the red door shut, and a boy approached me, up close and personal. "Hey, teach…I'm havin' some difficulties in math. Wanna help?" he asked, scanning me with satisfaction.

I smirked. "Not really, but if I have to I might."

He stopped dead in his tracks, surprised at my retort. But he laughed it off and went back to his friends. I smiled.

I sat at my desk, looking at the empty desks that were soon to be filled by my students. I was so happy! I was actually assigned a homeroom!

I was a little jumpy, so I wrote 'Kinomoto-sensei' on the board for the hell of it. Then I looked at my attendance sheet to see who was in my class.

"Chiharu Mihara… Rika Sasaki… Eriol Hiiragazawa… wow, long name… Takashi Yamazaki… Syaoran Li… Izumi Chikafuji…. Namito Samurakami…."

The bell interrupted my thoughts and suddenly the room was swarmed with students. I watched as they filed into any seat.

"Heya, class, I'm Kinomoto-sensei." I introduced, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" one boy said.

I whipped a piece of chalk at him. He fell off the desk he was sitting on, and the class chuckled.

"I wasn't finished, Mister…"

"Chikafuji," another boy coughed, and Chikafuji whacked him on the head.

"As I was saying, Mister Chikafuji, I don't take crap from anyone. Don't consider yourself an exception. And learn how to sit properly on a _chair, _fool, the poor girl behind you doesn't want that kind of view," I told him. He blushed and the class chuckled louder as he stumbled into his seat. I smirked.

I knew how to handle these kids; I was one myself not too long ago. I had enhanced learning and got through college quickly…very quickly. ^^"

_This should be fun…_

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I wrapped my hands around the back of my head and placed my feet on the table. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for sleep, ignoring the teacher's words. She was actually pretty cute, and some people said she had a Lamborghini.

I felt heat near me, and opened one eye to see her at my side, one eyebrow raised.

"Can I help you, miss?" I asked coolly.

"No, you can't help me, you really can't. Get your feet off the desk and listen." She told me, equally cool.

_Competition, huh? I can deal…_ "But miss, I have a, er… dementation in my legs that only allows me to have my feet raised. I'm sorry miss, you'll have to deal."

The floor suddenly jumped up to my face. "A-argh! What was that!"

"That was me, Mister Li." Kinomoto stared me down, not a hair out of place. She glared down at me.

"That's assault, miss. I'll have to call Child Services." I retorted.

"I'll have to call the hospital to get your legs fixed," she replied.

I growled and stood. "Why, I'm cured! Your beating helped cut off the circulation in my legs and so now I can straighten them. Now, Eriol, lend me your phone so I can call Child Services about my hero."

Eriol smiled. "Aww, give it a rest, Syaoran. She beat you, and then beat you down. Start again tomorrow."

I pursed my lips, glared at Kinomoto and plopped into my chair. She smiled triumphantly and winked at Eriol.

There was a knock at the door and Mizuki-sensei came in. She was the principal of the school.

"Kaho-chan!" Kinomoto ran over and hugged her.

"Sakura, it's so nice to see you! How's Toya?" Mizuki-sensei replied as they parted. I gulped. Toya was Mizuki-sensei's 'close friend' but I think there was more…but he seriously hated me. Did this new teacher have a connection with him…?

"He's fine, but he wants to see you again. You should really call him." Kinomoto replied happily.

The principal noticed me. "So, Syaoran-kun's in your class, hmm? Into trouble already?"

"The fool made me push him out of his chair," Kinomoto replied.

"Yes, miss, she assaulted me," I stepped in.

Mizuki-sensei laughed. "That's Sakura for you! I suppose that's Toya's doing, bugging you all the time when you were little."

"Whoa…so you and Mizuki-sensei go way back?" Eriol asked, surprised.

"Yep! I know her because of Toya, of course…" Mizuki-sensei told him.

"So…no one cares that Kinomoto attacked me viciously?" I interrupted, irritated.

"Oh, hush, Syaoran! Really, like you've never been hit before…" Mizuki-sensei said, getting annoyed herself.

"And that's _Sensei _to you, Li," _Sensei _told me. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever."

And she was in my face again. In that moment of nothingness, me, 'bad-boy Syaoran' actually got lost in a teacher's eyes, breathed in her cherry-ish scent as she was so close to me.

I think her gaze actually softened as we stared into each other's eyes, and it seemed like hours went by.

Then we both heard Mizuki-sensei chuckle, and whipped away from each other. Sensei's face was like her scent-cherry. Not that I was much different at the time.

She ran over and bid the principal goodbye. I turned away to see Eriol's astonished face. "Are you…_falling _for a _teacher?_" he asked in disbelief. "Even if she is only like two years older than us…"

I felt myself redden even more, but shook my head violently. "N-no! Of course not! Psssh, me, Syaoran Li, fall for his enemy? N-never!"

Eriol eyed my suspiciously, but let it drop. I escaped the gaze of the other guys, too, and turned to face the board, embarrassed and annoyed.

_That was so…random! I don't know, I just looked at her and…her eyes were so…_I gulped. _…Beautiful, and wrapped me into them, it just overcome them, and she's so pretty and…_I slapped my hand over my mouth, gasping at myself. _No, n-no, stop thinking like that, Syaoran…she's a little witch, and you know that, so straighten yourself out! _I slapped myself, forgetting the class.

"Erm…Li, what _are _you doing?" Sensei asked, chalk in hand.

I blushed. "Nothing, Miss, I just…g-go back to teaching already!" I turned away to face the window, heat still plowing on my face. She blinked, went just slightly pink…and then went back to whatever she was doing.

_God, I don't know what I'm going to do with this chick…_

* * *

**So, how was it? Should I keep going? Please review! (especially if you want another chapter! :D)**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

**So, chapter two is a little more serious this time...but I hope you like it still! ;D Oh and I noticed a serious issue in the summary that I fixed! It used to say 'Sakura doesn't crap. Nor does he.' But it's supposed to say 'Sakura doesn't _take_ crap. Nor does he.' I found myself giggling when I found that mistake...luckily, I fixed it! XD**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

"So…do you accept?" the snaky voice asked.

I blew out the smoke in my mouth and dropped the cigarette on the ground, stepping it out.

The cold wind caressed my face and blew my hair, making it messier than before. The moon was the only source of light at the school now; the building's lights were all out.

I thought about what this dude was offering me…a share in the money that he would be stealing from a bank later that night.

"Money, huh?" I asked. He nodded eagerly, but trying desperately not to lose his cool. "And you want my help to break in…"

"Yes," he said.

"Shut up," I snapped. "This offer…" The guy's tongue lolled out of his mouth like a dog. "I refuse."

His lips instantly drew back into a snarl. "What!"

"I said no," I repeated, keeping calm.

"Sissy," he taunted me. My fists clenched. "Trying to impress the new teacher, huh? Get your hands on her lambo and see what she can _do_?"

I growled. He chuckled.

"Peh, going for your teacher, how lame is that? Night clubs all the way. But then again, you sissy boys like the good natured little girls, right? Well, if I ever change my mind, I know where to go-,"

I leaped at the guy's face too quickly for him to go on, snarling as I broke his nose. "Ha-gaaghh!" he shrieked. I growled, my temper overtaking me, and continued to punch him.

_BAM BAM!_

The pain slashed across my arm as the blood leaked out; I looked up. I never thought the dude had back-ups, and here I was with a bullet in my arm. Oh well.

I stood, stepped on the guy hard (sure to break at least one of his ribs) and then punched the first of his cronies in the stomach, causing him to lose the grip on his gun. I took it from him, spun it around and knocked him in the face with it, immediately leading to a roundhouse kick to the other guy, tripping him face-first into the pavement. I flipped the gun again and pointed it down to them each by turn.

Suddenly, my head started to spin; I had lost too much blood. I closed my eyes to recover myself-big mistake. One of the men got up and kicked me in the face, sending me flying backwards.

As I got up, I could hear the police shouting for us to stop. I ignored them and popped the guy in the face too fast for him to see.

And then I was being held back; a cop had me in a head-lock, and I was bleeding all over him. I struggled against him, but he was strong, and I was dizzy from blood-loss. Eventually, I gave in…because I fainted.

* * *

I woke to a blinding light-the hospital ceiling.

"N-nn?" I turned my head to look at my surroundings; a blood patch thing, a heart monitor, a tube connected to me.

"Syaoran-kun…" a deep voice sighed.

"Heeyy, Keikan Matsumoto. How's it going?" I asked, smiling. This dude was like a buddy; since I got in so much trouble with the cops, he was always the one to deal with me.

"What exactly happened back there?"

"I got in a fight, Einstein."

"Be serious, Syaoran-kun."

I sighed. "I refused this guy's offer to steal from a bank."

He scribbled some notes down. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm…and why were you in a fight?"

I hesitated, not wanting to tell him I lost my temper. "…that's why. I refused, and he…" I trailed off, looking the other way.

He stopped writing and walked over to me. "Syaoran-kun…he taunted you, didn't he? He pissed you off and you lost your temper?"

I grit my teeth. "It was his own fault he has a broken nose, he messed with Li Syaoran!" I hissed.

"Syaoran-kun, you really have to stop this." Matsumoto didn't sound confident that this method would work.

"Why? How? Anger management classes? I'm not retarded. Walk away? I'm not a pussy, either." I spat, looking away again.

"Th…those aren't…_good _terms to use, Syaoran-kun." I could tell he couldn't come up with anything else to say.

"Go to high school," I muttered. He glared at me. "And why? So I can lead a healthy, successful life with a wife and kids? Please, one thing leads to another; gang leader equals no job, no money. No money equals no girls. Equals no kids."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Well…if someone really likes you then…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. They can be failures, too." I sighed.

He slammed his hand on the side table. "That's _enough, _Syaoran!"

"Pssh, and I'm the one who needs anger management classes?" I mumbled.

"Syaoran, I am _sick _of your attitude! If you _try, _then you _can _be successful!" I could tell he was serious now; he lost the '-kun' suffix to my name, and he was shouting.

"Well how can I be when I'm always in trouble with the cops!" I retorted, raising my voice as well.

He clenched his hand into a fist and grit his teeth, controlling his anger. "Fine," he said calmly.

I smirked. "Thank you."

He stood and collected his things. "I will ask Kinomoto-san to look after you."

I slammed my hands on the bed. "What!"

He whipped around on me and rose his voice slightly; his tone was final and firm. "_In _school, _and _out. You'd better be at school tomorrow." He slammed the door behind him.

"Arrgh!" I threw one of the extra pillows after him.

A few hours later, the nurse came in.

"Li-san, may I come in?" she asked politely.

"Sure," I mumbled.

She stepped in with a clipboard in hand. "You're results came in; you're fine to go home now. Just be careful and don't unwrap the bandages for a while."

"Okay, thanks."

She came and undid me from the machine. I changed into my own blood-stained clothes and left.

* * *

Outside, everyone was walking to school. I sighed as I remembered Matsumoto's words; _'You'd better be at school tomorrow.'_

I sighed and head over to the school, my uniform dirtied by blood. Some of the kids stared at me with scared eyes, but Eriol rushed over to me, worried.

"Dude, you're okay, right?" he asked.

"…yes." I replied. "I wouldn't have come today, but Matsumoto told me to."

He nodded and recovered his composure. Together we walked until the bell rang for first period.

A keikan came to get me, and Eriol had to go for first period class.

Matsumoto was talking to Kinomoto in the hallway, and her eyes were clouded with worry.

When I walked past her, I brushed her shoulder and she turned to look at me.

She seemed happy I was okay, but…disappointed in me as well. The deep emerald, sorrow-filled pools caught me and everything seemed to go slo-mo. I snapped my head away and she whipped around, too, embarrassed.

I looked at the floor for the rest of the walk. I don't know why, but for some reason I really didn't want to see her disappointed…especially when I was the cause.

"Hey-," the cop started to say, but I silenced him.

"Shut up." I said. "Gah!" I slammed into the door of Mizuki-sensei's office, and realized that the keikan was just trying to warn me. "…sorry." I muttered an apology. He smiled.

The door opened and Mizuki-sensei's angered eyes met mine.

"Li Syaoran, what on Earth have you done now?" A storm brewed in her voice. She let us both in and we sat down.

There was silence, and I felt awkward. I broke it with another meek apology. "…I'm sorry, Sensei, I just…I just lost my temper and this is where it got me."

"Why do you have to lose your temper at every little thing that someone says to you?" Mizuki-sensei's voice was hurt, and I felt really bad.

"…I'm sorry, miss…really and truly…" I apologized yet again. It wasn't very often that I did. "I'll…try to control myself from now on…"

"How can I be sure that you will?" she whispered, pain stabbing through her voice. "Syaoran, you're a great kid, but you just use your strengths for the wrong things. It makes me sad every time I hear you've done something bad. How can I trust that you won't betray your promise?"

"Because I have a plan," Matumoto's voice rang through the office, and Kinomoto stood beside him, looking down.

"Keikan-san," Mizuki-sensei greeted. "Sakura."

"Ohayo, Mizuki-san." Matsumoto said good morning before pulling up a chair for Kinomoto and himself.

"Your idea, Keikan-san?" Mizuki-sensei got straight down to business.

He chuckled under his breath. "My idea is to have Kinomoto-san and Syaoran-kun close a lot, so she can teach some manners and such to him. What do you think? As an after school activity as well as in-school?"

The principal smiled, and nodded. "That sounds wonderful to me. Sakura?"

She pursed her lips. "I don't know…"

"I knew you would. Syaoran, don't even think about opening your mouth, you're going along with it and that's _final._" She predicted Kinomoto and I both protesting and silenced us before we even started. "And if in-school and after school doesn't work," she told us, dead serious, "Then I _will _make the time-line of your little 'sessions' more…" a smile played at her lips. "…_time consuming, _if that's the right phrase to use_._"

She was seriously scaring me now. Was she gunna lock us in a closet or something for a week until Kinomoto beat social skills into me or what? Gah, I don't even want to think about what she was thinking…

I gulped and looked sideways at Kinomoto, to find she was doing the same.

Of course, I found myself staring, and tore my eyes away from her.

_This is going to be…weird…_I thought to myself, blushing a little.

* * *

**So there you have it, folks, chapter two! Please review if you want another chapter, and have a merry Christmas! By the way, 'keikan' means 'police officer' in case you didn't know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

**Hey, everyone! Here's a nice chapter for ya! Enjoy!**

**Oh, oh! And I've been getting a lot of favourite and alerts and such----if you do that, I ask that you PLEASE TRY TO REVIEW WITH IT! Thank you.**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

Syaoran and I sat in my classroom, looking away from each other. _Why, Kaho-chan!? _I thought frantically. _Why did you do this!?_

Not meeting his gaze (not that he was trying to) I attempted to speak. "Umm…well, I-,"

Kaho opened the door, smiling carelessly. "So, how's it going?"

"Can someone _please _tell me the reason for this, and how it's going to help?" Syaoran lashed out at her.

Kaho's smile didn't waver. "Oh, there's a reason all right…" she mumbled.

"Wha…?" I whispered.

Syaoran didn't seem to notice Kaho's remark. His voice was dripping with acid. "Well, why are you trapping me in the same room with someone who _kicked me out of a chair? _And the reason you didn't fire her on the spot?"

She looked at me, surprised; a blush spread across my cheeks. "She didn't tell you?"

"Well?" Syaoran demanded.

We both made the mistake of looking up and looking at each other.

Suddenly, I couldn't tear my eyes away. His amber gaze was locked into mine, glimmering with…amberness. ^ ^"

I got lost, and I had a feeling he did, too. His intense, demanding eyes softened into warm and inviting ones. _I wish I could see this side of him more often…he's really cu-_

Suddenly, I gasped, and clapped my hand over my mouth. Syaoran snapped out of the daze as well, and looked down, flushing a light shade of scarlet.

_How could I think that…!? What would Ayumu think…?! _I scolded myself. It wasn't really a big deal, I guess, but I was so embarrassed at the time…I dunno. Keep reading!

"Umm…w-well…," I stammered, trying to recover my original train of thought. "Oh yeah! I-I mean, umm…" I remembered finally, and blushed again. "I didn't actually mean to do it… it was an accident…one of the other students had their leg out and tripped on it and I kicked the chair by accident, sending you flying…I tried to cover it up, though so…sorry, Syaoran-kun…" I mumbled weakly. On a lighter note, I added, "If I can call you that." in a slightly smarmy tone.

Syaoran was stunned, but he nodded. "Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked.

"Well, if it was you, _you _wouldn't have said anything, either, so don't give me that!" I protested.

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Well…I guess you're right…"

Kaho stepped in happily. "So, has this taught you anything, Syaoran-kun?"

"Erm…not really, no."

Kaho turned on the serious side now, and looked Syaoran in the eye. (I wish I could do that!) "Maybe it's taught you to open up a bit more?"

"Everyone's my enemy," he muttered.

Kaho swung her hand to me. "Maybe Sakura-er, Kinomoto-sensei, isn't. She'll keep this stuff confidential." I eyed her suspiciously. It was like she was making this all up on the spot…

"Yeah, whatever… look, I gotta meet Eriol, so can I go?" he asked. I expected her to deny it, but she easily let him go, her carefree smile re-pasted on her face.

After he left, I caught Kaho. "Kaho-chan," I said. She looked back at me. "Why did you let him go so easily?"

"Well…we don't want to keep Eriol waiting!" she said, wavering slightly. She turned back and tried to get away, but I grabbed her wrist.

"Why are you making us do these classes? I don't think Syaoran will really learn anything from this." I told her, my eyes narrowing.

"It's worth a shot," she said, smiling half-heartedly.

"And that lesson," I pressed, "came off of the top of your head, didn't it?" A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek. "What is you're legit, truthful reason for doing all of this?" I whispered.

She frowned slightly, and snapped her hand out of mine. "Stop your questions, Sakura." Her voice was stern, which surprised me a little. "There _is _a legit reason for this. You'll find out soon, if not for yourself. For now, just keep going with it."

She walked away, her pink heels clacking against the floor, ending the conversation.

* * *

I sighed as I flopped down onto the bed. It had been a long day…

I was still troubled by Kaho's secretiveness and finality- she had never been like that before. I had always known her as the 'carefree, life-loving, easy-going, share-everything-with-the-world Kaho-chan'. The situation had to be serious for Kaho to be acting like that.

_Maybe Toya'll know…_I thought, turning to the cordless phone and speed-dialing Toya's number.

"Moshi moshi." My brother's deep voice answered his home phone.

"Hiya, Toya!" I answered happily.

His voice lightened at my own. "Hey there, Monster! How's your new job?" he asked playfully.

"Umm, hello, I'm _twenty! _Now _stop _calling me monster!" I fumed, as if we were kids again.

He laughed on the other line.

I recollected myself. "Well, my job's good."

"Any delinquents in your class?" he clearly meant for this to be a joke.

"Yes."

"…..henh?"

"Yes."

"I heard that part, idiot."

"Well…he just got into trouble with the cops. And he talks back to teachers and stuff. One keikan and Kaho-chan told us that I had to teach him some manners, or something. Today was the first 'class', and we were talking and stuff with Kaho-chan. She said he had to learn a lesson from the classes.

"But that's the thing; she _taught _him the lesson, solely on what we were talking about- I could tell she hadn't planned this, and was making it up on the spot!" I told him.

He hesitated. "Well…what happened after that?"

"Syaoran-kun- that's him, the kid- said he didn't want to leave Hiiragazawa-kun- that's his best buddy- waiting, and Kaho-chan let him go! Just like that!

"And then when I asked about the classes and stuff, how they would actually help, she said, 'Stop your questions, Sakura. There _is _a legit reason for this. You'll find out soon, if not for yourself. For now, just keep going with it.' Her voice was so…_final_, and heavy, it seemed. It wasn't like Kaho-chan."

"Soo…what'd you call me for?" Toya asked.

"Well…I wanted to know…if anything…_happened._" I said sheepishly.

He hesitated again. "No, I actually haven't talked to her in a while."

"…Oh. Well…okay, then…"

I heard the door open and someone shout hello.

"Hey, Yukito! Hold on, Sakura's on the phone," I heard Toya call. "I gotta-,"

"Tell Yukito-san I said hi!!!" I almost screamed in his ear.

"Jesus, okay, you don't have to make me deaf, Monster…" he mumbled, and passed on my greeting. I heard Yukito shout hello back. I giggled. "Alright, bye, kiddo."

"Bye!" I said, still swooning over Yukito.

He was sooo cute, and sooo nice! I sighed. _My dear Yukito-san…_he was Toya's best friend for forever, and my crush for forever. Even though I had Ayumu, it didn't hurt to still like Yukito... And my brother and I didn't live to far apart, so I could really see him any time. I just had to wait until I wasn't busy, and Toya wasn't, either.

Oh well. Now, the day was ending on a happy note. I got to hear sweet Yukito's voice!

The phone rang suddenly, making me jump. The caller I-D told me that my best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo, was calling.

I picked up the sleek back receiver. "Hi, Tommy!" I crowed, using her nickname. She didn't love it, but didn't complain, either.

"Hi, Sakky!" she sang back, using the equal to her nickname. "How was your job?"

"It's gunna be…interesting," I picked the words out carefully.

Tomoyo gasped. "What!? Do they make you wear a hideous uniform?!"

I laughed. "No, no, no uniform required."

"Did your students make fun of your fashion sense?" she quipped.

"No, I- hey, are you saying something's wrong with it?"

"Er, no…I'm just trying to say, I can make you an outfit for tomorrow!!" she told me, and I could picture her swooning over a design in her head.

"Well…okay, as long as it isn't, you know…as long I approve it!" I managed.

She laughed on the other line. "Oh, Sakura, you never change! Alright, I'll drop it off tomorrow morning!" Then she seemed to remember what I'd said earlier. "Why is it going to be interesting?"

"Well, there's this one kid, Li Syaoran…" and I told her my tale of the little bad-boy.

"Wow, that's pretty intense," Tomoyo said when I had finished.

"Yeah, but that's not all…" I said; I was finding the right words to describe what I didn't dare tell Toya-the fact that I can't think straight when I'm around him. He would be eating through a straw if Toya found out, even if he _is_ a little ruffian… "See, when I'm around him…no, when we're around each other, we both get lost, I can tell. I can't think straight, my eyes will only focus on him until something snaps me out of it…"

Tomoyo giggled lightly on the other end. "Do you think it's because you like each other? Ohh, that would be so romantic…I mean, it happened to your parents, just reverse! Your dad was the teacher! _And _Toya! Maybe it runs in your family!"

I blushed profusely. "Wh-what!? I don't like him, the stupid gaki…" I trailed off, grumbling weakly.

Tomoyo laughed again. "Whatever, I won't press it."

We chatted for a while longer, and then Sonomi called for her and she left.

I sat there for a while, and then eventually got bored. I looked at the time, and it was still only 5:15! (p.m. of course)

I sighed and decided to go for a walk. I changed into more comfortable clothes, threw my running shoes on, and went out the door.

I walked on for a while, turning at random corners. I wouldn't get lost; I knew Tomoeda like the back of my hand.

Suddenly, the pavement was swirling up to my face. I hadn't fallen; I had bumped into something, or someone.

The person sounded distracted. "Er… ah! Hey, are you all right? I'm sorry, I-,"

"Forget the girl, dude, fight like a man!" another voice hissed.

"Aw, crap," the first-_hey! _I thought suddenly. _I know that voice!_

"Hor-HYOH!" the second voice came again, in a messed up growl, er, thing. It took me a second to realize he was lunging forward the first boy.

"Rgh!" he picked me up and dashed out of the way. "Are you o- _Sensei?_" Syaoran cut himself off and gasped when he looked at my face.

"Er, hi, Syaoran-kun…" I said, trying my best to avoid his enveloping brown eyes.

"Hmph," the second voice came again. I looked at the source; a frikkin' HUGE, dark-skinned man with cold, dark eyes. He looked like a gangster, too… He was probably in his early thirties, and he was chasing Syaoran, an eighteen year-old!? Hmm, I shall name him…Steroids. Ha ha. "Getting rather touchy-feely with your sensei, eh, Li? Of course, not that that's banned, but people don't love it, and it sure shows ya ain't manly enough to get yourself a fake I-D and go to a club for a girl…"

The blood pooled at my cheeks, and I snatched a glance at Syaoran's face-the same as mine.

But despite the remark, Syaoran clenched me tighter with his muscular arms. He was really a lot taller than I was, and with a bigger build, even with an age difference. Well, the difference was only two years, and he _was _a guy, but it felt kinda weird, anyway…I was petite, and he was… I looked at him again, and cringed slightly. …sexy.

Steroids jumped again, and threw his arm out for the blow.

"Eeek!!" I shrieked; I thought for sure he was gunna break us!

But Syaoran jumped out of the way just in time; he was fast! I noticed he was bleeding a lot, but Steroids hadn't touched us…a wound from before? I followed the path, and found a sharp slice in his arm.

I gasped. "Syaoran-kun! Your arm!"

"Eh?" he looked down at the cut, and smirked. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt that much."

"Hoee?" I whimpered.

A tight smile came to his lips as he dodged another attack; Steroids was getting mad.

"It's something all the Lis have…whenever we get cut or something, sure, it'll still bleed, but the pain is nullified greatly. It's like a barrier. I don't know why, but some people say it started with some Clow Reed guy."

"LIIIIII!!!!" Steroids roared. He started running insanely fast towards us; his legs were bulging. _He really _is _on steroids!!_

Syaoran clenched his teeth. "Kuh!" he spat, and started his own run.

After a minute, Syaoran jumped, attempting to get on a building.

"OMIGAWD!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I screamed. "A ROOF!? Holy crap, I'm in the air…"

He set me down with as much care as he could, which made me blush again. He had succeeded to get on the roof, and now I scared out of my wits, so I clung to Syaoran's arm, all my embarrassment suddenly forgotten.

It was his turn to go red. "Yeah…I don't jump on roofs much…" he mumbled.

"I hope not!" I breathed. He chuckled.

Steroids finally caught up to us, but he was carrying a…truck load of rocks!?!?

"Holy crap!" I squeaked.

He launched them at us, and Syaoran shoved me over to the chimney and shielded me with his body, pinning me.

I heard the rocks go flying, and saw some of them shoot past. A couple hit Syaoran; he grunted.

"Are you okay?" I asked weakly.

"D-don't worry about it, remember, the pain is nullified," he told me, casting me a small smile.

"You don't have to do this; go through all this trouble just to protect me, I mean. I could just run away, or…"

"Don't be stupid, he'd go after you. He thinks you're my weakness…" he trailed off too, and looked at me. _Here we go again…_

I could only see him; everything else was fuzzy. He was _so _close, I could reach out and…and…

"RRRRAAAAAARRRGGH!!" Steroids bellowed suddenly, bringing us back to earth.

Syaoran tensed, which scared me. "Fight like a man, you pussy!"

Syaoran growled, and finally turned around. "Keep on the chimney," he told me, and I nodded, though he couldn't see.

Steroids flew a punch to Syaoran's head, but he swiftly twisted to the right. He sent a roundhouse kick to Steroids' knee, but his evil eyes rested firmly on me.

The colour drained from my face, I could feel it, and a cold sweat dewed on my forehead. Just before Syaoran's kick connected, he jumped, and was suddenly in front of me.

He smiled crookedly.

"NO!" Syaoran yelled, collecting himself from the failed kick. He started towards us, it was too late.

Steroids snaked his arm around me, flipping me around so that we both faced Syaoran.

Fabric moved behind me, and then there was cold at my neck.

"Make a choice, girly man," he hissed. "Either your little girlfriend dies when you try to attack…" he licked my cheek; I shuddered. _What the HELL!?_ "Or you don't attack and…" he broke off, chuckling. He flashed the knife to Syaoran, who gulped and clenched his teeth.

Steroids was serious.

**:O:O:O:O What will Syaoran do!!?!?!?!?!? REVIEW TO FIND OUUUTT!!! XDXDXDXDXDXDXD Thanks so much to everyone that's been reaviewing, please keep doing so!!!XDXDXD**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

**Holy crap, definitely the longest chapter yet! I hope you enjoy it, now read, child, read to find out what happens to Sakura annd all the other stuff in this jam-packed chapter! YEA!**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

My mouth hung in horror as I stared at Sensei's terrified face. Abe (yes, his real name isn't Steroids! SHOCK! :P Just a Sakura nickname) pressed the knife deeper to her throat, chuckling nastily.

"Sensei…!" I managed to choke out, holding my hand out. I didn't want to know (or find out) what this dude was planning for her if I tried anything.

"Give it up, Li," Abe said in his throaty voice. "Surrender to me and bow down if you want to free her." Again, he flashed the knife to me.

I looked at Sensei, and she stared back. I caught myself falling into the strange daze, and shook it off.

"…Alright," I finally said, hanging my head.

"What! No! Don't give into him, Syaoran-kun, what're you doing?" Sensei suddenly burst. I looked up, surprised. "I- egh!"

Abe cut her off by tightening his grip on her and threatening to dig the knife down deeper. "Urusai, kono ama!"

She winced and bit her lip.

"Don't talk to her like that!" I fumed suddenly. "I…I give up. I'll surrender if you let her go."

Sensei was about to make another protest, but Abe growled to warn her. She just looked at me pleadingly.

"You idiot, you brought this on yourself! So shut up and let me protect you!" I told her, finding myself stealing lines from the English InuYasha anime.

Abe cackled, pleased with his victory. "Now get on your knees and _bow,_" he demanded.

I grit my teeth and bit back a rude remark. I looked down again, and muttered, "…Okay."

"No!" Sensei squeaked again, but I ignored her this time.

I dropped to my knees, planted my hands on the ground (er, roof…?) and bowed my head. Abe made another satisfied chuckle.

I bit my lower lip, and then urged myself on. _Come on, come on…she won't tell anyone, and I certainly won't…but…urgh! Just do it!_

Through grit teeth, I began my plea. "Please let her go," I hissed. "I'm be-,"

"SAKURAAA!" a new voice bellowed, and a golden haired man landed in front of me. Another one, with long silver hair, kicked Abe aside.

"Yarou!" he sneered as he did so. But the persistent little monkey kept his grip on Sensei, and together they fell off of the roof. Did I mention this was an office building around four or five stories high? Don't ask me (or the author:P) how I got up there, but it felt like the wind just carried me, soo…

"NO!" I yelled, and ran forward, jumping off the roof after them.

"Are you crazy!" the golden haired guy called after me. The silver one held him back.

Abe's feet were dragging on the side of the building, trying to slow himself or something, and stunned office workers were looking out the window. I caught a foot-hold on one of the windows, and actually _leapt _off- I know, it sounds crazy, but the adrenaline was pumpin' and, well… other stuff, I guess, like a miracle or some crap.

I grunted as I tried to catch up with the other two. Abe's feet dragging thing was working, he was slowing down. Finally, I reached out and grabbed Sensei's foot.

I heard her go 'eep!' but ignored it. Grunting still, I thrust my other arm up and grasped her kneecap, up to her thigh, and found myself reddening despite the situation.

"What are you doing?" she gasped. "I'm not a rock climbing wall!"

"Rrrgh, shut up!" I grunted.

Suddenly the wind was knocked out of me. Abe had finally noticed me and kicked me in…yeah. Ouch.

"Itai…!" I muttered, wincing. I nearly lost my grip. _No! _I thought. _This is wasting time…_

I heard Abe grunt in pain; Sensei had bitten his arm. _Baka! _

"Ahh!" she cried; I looked up again.

He had cut her cheek, and the blood was just spilling out; there were tears in her eyes. I clenched my teeth and continued to move up…Sensei. Whoa that sounds weird.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, my face ridiculously close to hers. Her face was just as red as mine was. I shook my head and focused on my mission; we were nearing the ground now…I was running out of time…

Then I noticed it — the key to my improvised plan. Someone was looking out the window, the _fully opened _window.

It was my turn to kick Abe in the balls, so I did so. In his pain, he let go of Sensei, but didn't give up. He reached out and sliced her shoulder as he fell away.

She was trembling in pain, but clung to me. I kept on arm around her waist and reached out not a moment too soon. I caught onto the window-ledge, and slammed hard into the building, but kept my grip on both the ledge and Sensei. There was a sickening crack from my shoulder, but I tried my best to ignore it.

"Daijoubou?" I asked. She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.

I looked down; Abe had landed on his feet in a soft-looking garden, but I expect his feet, legs, back and other things were probably all broken. Sensei whimpered and turned back to me.

Then the blaring sirens from both the police and ambulances came from the right, and they came to an abrupt halt, already jumping out of the vehicles. Soon after, a media car appeared from the left, and soon people swarmed the street, whether of authority or just civilians.

"Kuso," I grumbled.

I tried to pull Sensei and I up from hanging on the window, but I failed horribly.

"Hey, do you need help?" a man asked from the building.

"Gee, no, I can pull me and Sensei up from here with one hand," I hissed. "Baka."

He frowned, but called for some other guys to come help.

"I'll take the little miss," one said. I glared at the guy, but gave her to him.

Next, two dudes helped me up, and sat us both down in chairs.

"We're fine," Sensei told them quickly. She grabbed my hand and dashed out the door, down the stairs and out onto the streets.

Silver and Goldilocks were standing there anxiously, and immediately ran over to us when they saw us coming out.

"Nice job, Silver-san," I grumbled. He looked at me weird, but went back to Sensei.

"Sakura-chan, daijoubou?" he asked. _Hey…I think I've seen these two before…_

"That was a _nasty _fall- lucky the twerp was there to save you," Goldilocks stated.

"And a whole lot you did, Goldilocks," I spat.

"Saved you from begging for her back, didn't I, punk!" he challenged, raising his voice. I clenched my teeth. "Yeah, that's right."

"Shut up," I hissed, my hands balled into fists.

"Kero-chan, quit it!" Sensei told him.

"Cerberus, you're _so _immature," Silver muttered.

Then realization hit me.

"You guys- you're Yue and Kero, aren't you?" I asked, astonished. "The teen idols?"

"Mm," Yue said.

My mouth hung open and I looked at Sensei. "Sensei, you never said you had superstar buddies," I told her.

She blushed. "You never asked."

"Excuse me!" a female voice called to us. I groaned; it was a reporter and her camera. Yue and Kero did their best to disguise themselves with a hat and sunglasses. Yue tucked his long hair into the hat, and Kero hid his own shoulder-length hair by putting the hood up on his hoodie.

The camera was already rolling, but not on us; it was pointing in the direction of Abe, who was being carried away in a stretcher, tailed by some keikan.

Matsumoto rushed over to us. "Syaoran-kun, what happened?"

I explained everything to him. His eyes twinkled as he pointed us to the ambulance. He shooed away the reporter temporarily.

They cleaned us up at the hospital, and as soon as we were done, the reporter burst in with her faithful dog, cameraman.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what happened?" she asked. I shot her an icy glare but let Sensei explain it all.

"Well…that must have been terrifying," the reporter, who I recognized as Kaori Hanajima from NTV. "But then, your boyfriend here saved you, so it's all okay." She turned back to the camera.

"EH!" we both said, blushing.

Hanajima ignored us. "A passerby filmed the whole thing happening; here you go."

"N-n-no!" I protested. "She's not my girlfriend! Ew!"

She stepped on my foot, but protested as well. "Yeah, he's my student!"

"Ooo…." Hanajima said. "Interesting…"

"Kuso!" I swore, realization dropping on me like bombs. "She's gunna twist it around, aren't you, busu!"

"Syaoran-kun!" Sensei scolded me.

I bit my tongue, but stared frostily at her.

"Let's just go," Yue suggested, and we agreed and left.

I sighed; this was gunna be painful. I suddenly had a fear of the 6' o' clock news.

**_Toya's Point of View_**

I sat lazily down on my couch with a beer (imported from America, ooh yea) and turned on the TV to the news at six.

"Our lead story today, a girl kidnapped and threatened only to be saved by her student!" the anchor said. "Hanajima Kaori got an interview from the victim!"

"Konban wa, watashi Hanajima Kaori with the two victims of the headline today, who were in danger of a terrible death."

I choked on my beer and the spewed it out. "NANI!" There was Sakura!

I turned the volume up on the TV almost to the highest.

It showed a huge dark man being carried away in a stretcher with some keikan tailing closely.

"_So, what exactly just happened?" the reporter asked. _

"_Erm… well…Ster- eep! I mean, I mean, that man was challenging my student over here when I walked around the corner and then he carried me away to safety but the man-,"_

_HE cut Sakura off quickly by muttering, "Abe."_

"_Er, yeah, caught up to us on the rooftop of that building…and he was throwing rocks…and then Syaoran-kun went in to hit him, or, or something…and then he came over to me and held a knife to my throat…"_

"_Then these two idiots-," the boy thrust his_ _hand back to two guys behind them. One grinned and gave the camera a peace sign with his fingers, while the other just looked uncomfortable. "-Distracted the both of us. He kicked him- and Sensei- off the roof. I followed…" he trailed off, blushing. _

"_Um, yeah, and…then…he, er, grabbed onto us and noticed an opened window…" Sakura continued for him. _

_The boy snorted. "Yeah, so I sacked him, grabbed her and hung on to the window ledge. He landed in the garden after slicing her up. Also she-," he put his hand on Sakura's head. "-was clinging to me for dear life."_

"_Syaoran-kun!" Sakura hissed, the colour rising in her cheeks. He started laughing and Sakura pursed her lips. _

"_Well…that must have been terrifying," Hanajima said. "But then, your boyfriend here saved you, so it's all okay." She smiled and turned back to the camera. "A passerby filmed a lot of the event."_

"_EH!" The kid and Sakura burst, flushing deep scarlet. _

"_N-n-no, she's not my girlfriend! Ew!" the boy said. _

"_Yeah, he's my student!" Sakura said. _

Then it cut off to the scene, and I watched intently. I was clutching my beer so hard my knuckles were white; the kid was _all over _my little sister! And then this big dude _cuts _her?

"I think I'll have to move in with her again to keep her from trouble," I muttered, only half-joking.

The scene was finished now, and Hanajima had started talking again.

"…could there be more to their relationship than they're ready to admit?" she was saying. I hissed; there better _not _be!

"Could this boy have a teacher complex?" she said. "More on that tomorrow."

"That boy is going to have a complex time _eating_ if I ever meet him," I growled. But for some reason he looked familiar…

I dashed to the phone.

"Moshi moshi?" Sakura answered dully.

"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SEE ON THE TV!" I exploded.

"Baka, do you really believe all that crap about the lovers? He's my student, goddammit!" she shouted back to me.

I growled. "Fine," I spat. "Were you hurt? Do you want me to come to your place?" I asked, calming down little by little.

"No, no, it's okay, I'm fine, really," she told me; I could picture her shaking her head.

I sighed. "Alright, kaijuu, sayoonara," I said, smirking as I imagined her reaction.

She hissed into the phone, but sighed. "Oyasumi nasai, Onii-chan."

I hung up when the other line clicked, grinding my teeth.

"Where have I seen you before, gaki…?" I asked myself.

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I groaned as I entered the school premises; I could tell everyone had seen or heard about the news last night. That, of course, included the little section (that happened to be the headline) about Sensei's and my trip yesterday. As soon as Sensei had said 'student' I knew that that Hanajima asshole was going to turn it around, and she did. Now apparently there was going to be a special on my 'teacher complex' tonight.

As I walked the walk of shame, some people stared and made remarks too low for me hear. I just glared ahead of me and kept walking until Eriol and the guys ran up to me.

"Syaoran, what the hell?" Eriol asked.

"Yeah, are you seriously dating Kinomoto-sensei?" Yamazaki's eyes were wide.

"Not a chance in hell," I spat through grit teeth. The guys all seemed to relax.

Then I saw her- Sensei, backed up against the wall of a back corner of the building not to far from the school, with a few twelve-year sleaze balls chuckling and muttering to her. She, of course, was spitting things back in their faces; probably edgy retorts.

"Baka, can't she do anything for herself?" I grumbled as I shouldered past the guys to help her. Chikafuji held me back.

"If you do that, it will only leave a bigger impression," he told me sternly. I stiffened, but I knew he was right. "Just ignore her."

I turned my back and tried my best to, but when I glanced back quickly, one of the guys was moving in on her, pinning her so she couldn't get away. I clenched my teeth and my fists; I felt that I really needed to protect her, like it was my duty…

"Syaoran-kun," Chikafuji said, glancing around us; people were watching as I helplessly stared on at Sensei.

Finally, he wrapped his arms around her 'waist'— only trying to get around to her ass, of course – and I snapped.

"YAROU!" I roared as I dashed off the school property at top speed. His friends noticed me as I approached, but I easily knocked them aside.

I body-checked the one on Sensei, and then punched him in the face, a rumble coming from my throat.

He wiped the blood off his face, and plastered on a smug smile. "Here to save your girlfriend, you creeper?"

"_I'm _the creeper? Were you conscious when you just tried to make out with her?" I thundered. His smile disappeared, and I glowered at him, my hands still in fists.

Finally, he spat blood out of his mouth and walked away, punching me in the stomach.

"Kuh-!" I spat, but regained myself as quickly as I could. I turned back icily on Sensei, but still concerned. "Can't you keep yourself out of trouble for _one day?_" I hissed. "I won't always be around to save you, you know!"

She stood. "Well why did you, then?" she argued.

"Because I…d-don't like that kind of crap!" I said, my eyes turning to the ground as I blushed.

"Oh, and is that all?" she asked coolly.

"What do you expect more?" I asked, matching her cool, finding a loophole. I stepped forward, and now she was against the wall again. I leaned in, a smug smile on my face. "Do you _want _more?" I whispered, turning on my charm just to piss her off and confuse her.

She blushed and stared at me furiously.

But that's when it all went wrong- the staring part. I was suddenly drowning in her emerald pools, which were dazed.

I leant in closer to her soft pink lips and she didn't object, or even move…

Suddenly, a car drove by and that brought me back to the world, and I caught myself barely inches away from kissing her. My eyes widened in disbelief, and I blushed as I clapped my hand over my mouth.

She was equally red and her mouth hung open; it looked like she was criticizing herself as well.

"G…gomen…" I mumbled, and rushed away as quickly as I could, my hand still covering my mouth.

I raced back to the schoolyard. Eriol immediately rushed up to me.

"Syaoran!" he called, both angry and concerned.

I didn't answer, my eyes still bulging at what I had just attempted to do.

Eriol hesitated. "…Syaoran?"

I leant against the wall behind me, the scene replaying over and over in my head. "I can't believe myself," I whispered, completely astonished. "How could I…?"

"Syaoran, what did you do?" Eriol quipped, his brows knitting. (hehe, it sounds like they're knitting a scarf :D)

The others still weren't there; I knew I'd regret sooner or later, but I knew I could confide in him and told him. "I got lost and…" I blinked hard. "And I tried to kiss her."

"What…?" Eriol breathed. But behind his amazement, there was a glimpse of amusement behind his eyes, or fulfillment, like I had accomplished something he wanted me to.

I noticed this, and instantly went on the offensive. "But I didn't," I told him; I grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Why do you look so happy?"

"No, Syaoran, you have it all wrong," he held up his hands innocently. I frowned, but believed him and set him down. I started to walk away, but heard him murmur, "You'll know in due time…"

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I was still scolding Syaoran and myself for the near-kiss earlier while in class. I stumbled over my words often, and went into crazy blush mode. A few atrocious mood swings were involved, too, but no one got, er, too hurt…heheh.

Syaoran was spaced, too. He kept stealing glances at me, mostly when I was doing the same to him, and we looked away, embarrassed and confused.

Chiharu, a nice girl, finally rose her hand nervously. "Um…Sensei, you've been on edge all day, is something wrong?" she asked.

I stiffened, but relaxed.

"You could say," I told her.

She looked kind of worried, and I was thankful for that. So I added, "But it's really nothing you have to worry about. I'm your teacher! I should be worrying about you more than you should of me."

She seemed to relax some more, and she smiled at me; I returned it.

I walked down the rows of desks, continuing my lecture but adding a little Kinomoto style to it to keep people entertained.

Then I got to _his _desk. I just glanced down at him, really quickly. But he was already looking at me. We both kind of half-blushed, half-frowned at each other, and then I felt weird, like I was going to faint or something…

Then suddenly the door burst open, and Tomoyo ran in. "Sakura-chan! I found you!" she squealed, and danced over to hug me. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her silently. "Kaho-san had given me instructions on where to go, but I got lost…hohohoho."

"Umm…that's just like you, Tomoyo-chan, but…I'm in the middle of class right now!" I hissed into her ear, my eyes flickering around the room.

"It's okay, we can work on the pages you assigned us," Chiharu jumped in.

Her friend Rika nodded her head, smiling.

I sighed. "Okay, this will only be a minute."

I walked over to the back of the classroom. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, pursing my lips.

She giggled. "I forgot to stop by and give you your new clothes!" she said, smiling eagerly as she held up the bag in her hands.

I sighed and laughed nervously. _What did she…?_

Noticing my reaction, she pulled the outfit out of the bag.

I have to admit it was a cute, fashionable one. There were knee-high black leather boots with 'Sakura' imprinted on one and 'Tomoyo' on the other. The jeans were dark, but fanned out on the top. Tomoyo can't live without frilly things. The top had S + T equals :D on it, a red and white kind of swirly t-shirt, and the letters were blue (what is this, America?) with tight sleeves attached (frilled at the wrist, of course) and a ribbon to go around my neck.

"Go, now, try it on!" Tomoyo urged me excitedly, pushing me out the door. "There's a leather jacket, too, if you get cold!"

"Uwaah, I-," I tried to protest.

"I'll take care of your class for a few minutes! GO!"

"It's really cute, Kinomoto-sensei, I'd like to see you try it on," Chiharu said, Rika nodding her head. I sighed and gave in.

I came back into the room and some people gasped, some people gaped. I blushed, and looked down.

Tomoyo started to clap and squeal.

"Lemme guess, 'oh Sakura-chan, you're sooo kawaii!" I mimicked her voice, pursing my lips through my blush.

Tomoyo smiled and shook her head. "No, no, Sakura-chan…you look _hot!_" she told me, winking. She looked to the class and said, "Pardon my, er, language, but isn't she?"

Chiharu and Rika nodded, and Naoko, a quiet girl who always had her nose in a book, nodded, open-mouthed.

"Shhyea," a boy, Samurakami, commented, looking me up and down with a satisfied look.

Hiiragazawa and Syaoran hit him simultaneously on the arm, and then held their arms out as if to say, _'What the hell!' _

"Ayumu will be happy," Tomoyo said softer, but I had a feeling everyone heard. "You're seeing him tonight, right?"

I nodded shyly, and I could tell the class was dying to go 'ooooooooooooooo!'

I looked at them, and they looked back expectantly. I sighed. "Go ahead."

Some snickered, and they all went, "Ooooooooooooo!"

Tomoyo laughed, and I managed a small giggle.

She stayed for the rest of the day, and you won't believe how fun it was. Seriously, honest.

Even Syaoran loosened up after a while.

**_Yue's Point of View_**

"Yue," Cerberus told me sternly.

"I know, I know…but I don't know," I replied with a sigh.

"Wow, confusing. But you _do _know that I can't keep up this form much longer…our hotels are fine, they're always the best of the best, but I can't go back in the open in Tomoeda…" he told me. I said nothing. "When is it going to happen?"

"I think…_hope_…that it will be soon, but…I can't be sure." I told him, sighing again. Cerberus groaned. "I know, I know!" I said again.

"Shut up, man, you're confusing." Cerberus cracked a smile on his angel face, and so did I. I whacked his head, and he laughed.

After our little… 'squabble' was over, he fell back on the bed and was instantly snoring.

I decided to call Kaho. It rang twice, and then she picked up.

"Moshi moshi." she answered.

"Kaho-san, it's me. Yue."

Her voice was suddenly hushed. "Yue? What is it?"

"Well…has anything happened with Sakura yet, or the other boy?"

She sighed. "No, not Sakura, and Eriol hasn't reported anything on Syaoran yet…it should be soon, right?"

It was my turn to sigh. (….again….) "I'm not sure…but Cerberus is getting tired."

"Tell him to suck it up, and I'll treat him to some cake and ice cream soon," she said with a chuckle. I smiled.

"He'll like that," I told her. "But he might run you clean out of cash with how hungry the guy is all the time. Honestly," I snickered.

* * *

**Sooo, how'd you like the longest chapter yet? :D Review and tell, especially if you want another one! And who is this Ayumu? Heheh, this will be found out in a few chapters...yaaaaaay...please review...and if you're interested, please check out my other CCS story, Guardians of Tomoeda...ohhh I already mentioned it but oh well yaaaay...heheh, please review! ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

**DX I'm so sorry it took so long for me to write and upload this chapter! Please forgive me! I would do a little face thing but it wouldn't come up! **

**I hope you like this chapter! There might be some mistakes in it... Please review! Sorry again!**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

That night, I rushed to the door when it rang. I smiled when I opened it. "Ayumu!" I hugged him, and he chuckled. He wore a blue and black shirt more on the dressier side, with some casual jeans. I stood properly again, and he took me in.

His eyebrows raised. "Wow, Sakura-chan, you really look good. As in, _really_ look good."

I blushed and giggled. "Thank you." I pulled him to my couch. "So, how did your day go?"

"Who cares?" he asked, and his fingers lightly traced my jaw. His lips moved up from my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling.

* * *

The next day, I was very pissed to see that some idiot had stuck a picture of the day before where Syaoran had me pinned to the wall. A few students were looking at it. "Wow, it looks pretty steamy, if you know what I mean…" one girl said. Another nodded.

One guy said, "Hey, do you think they kissed after that?"

The first girl snorted. "Probably way—,"

I shoved her out of the way and stared incredulously at the picture. Our eyes were looking into each other, and our lips were unbelievably close. I didn't even know that they were that close! His body was pressed against mine, and…to be honest, it really did look like a scandal.

I heard the blood pulse in my ears. I ripped the photo off heatedly, and was tempted to eat it, but decided it wasn't good and I might get, like, lead poisoning. I whipped it into my purse and whirled around on the kids. "And for the record, that was all fake. We aren't going out or anything. No scandal."

The guy snorted. "There isn't much evidence supporting that, is there? What, did the boogeyman force him on you?"

I clenched my teeth, but walked away (angrily). Why would I go with that brat when I had Ayumu? Argh!

I found Syaoran loitering outside the school with his little gang. My hands balled into fists and I walked over to them. One guy, who wasn't usually with them, said, "Hey, Li, here comes your girlfriend." Syaoran immediately punched him in the face, and the guy ran away.

"Syaoran-kun! Do you have any idea where that ridiculous picture came from?" I hissed.

He stared at me blankly. "What?"

I blinked. "I guess you didn't see it, then," I said, reaching into my bag to pull the crumpled photo out. I straightened it, and handed it to Syaoran. He looked at it and blushed before handing it back to me.

"That's pretty…" he trailed off, and I knew there were so many words to fill that void. _Retarded. Embarrassing. _

_True. _

I slumped against the wall with them. "What're we gunna do?"

Chikafuji shrugged. "Start actually going out?" Syaoran whipped a rock at him.

"No, wait," Eriol said. "You _should _act like you're going out. Then, you can 'break up' in front of a crowd, making this big scene out of it."

"Yeah…" I murmured. "Yeah, that's a good idea, Hiiragazwa-kun!"

He smiled at me. "Please, call me Eriol."

I grabbed Syaoran's arm. "Let's go get it over with now, Syaoran-kun."

He nodded his head, a slight shade of pink spreading across his face. "Wait!" This time it was Samurakami, I think, that stopped us. "Don't call her 'Sensei', call her 'Sakura', got it?"

Syaoran nodded, and we walked out into the schoolyard where a bunch of kids were still hanging out. I was clinging to Syaoran's arm, smiling and snuggling in to him; a bunch of people were staring and whispering. Syaoran chuckled. "Looks like you're actually enjoying this."  
I frowned up at him and stuck my tongue out at him. Then I realized this was my chance. I squeezed his arm, and he nodded. I flung off of him, frowning. "What!"

"You heard me, Sakura!" He shouted.

"Agh! No! Why do you always have to be…like…_that!_" I yelled, not able to think of anything else.

The corner of his mouth twitched, and I could tell he was trying hard to fight the smile. "Come on, Sakura, baby, don't be like that."

"No, _you _don't be like that!"

"Sakura, honestly!" He glared at me. Then the incoherent bickering started, until I signaled _three, two, one _with my fingers, and we both shouted, "WE'RE _DONE!_"

We stomped in opposite directions, but it led to the same area where the guys were. We went over to each other burst into laughter.

"That was… soo…crazy!" I said between giggles.

"Yeah," he told me, grinning. "That was fun!" And we started laughing again. I saw Eriol move in my peripheral vision, and suddenly something pushed me from behind. I stumbled and the ground was swirling up to my face. Syaoran rushed forward and I fell into him, instead. His arms were a cautious ring around me, and my hands were on his chest…his firm, strong chest…_agh! No! Stop this nonsense, Sakura! _I looked up at him, the same time he was looking down at me. We blushed simultaneously and (once again) drowned in one another's eyes. I felt his arms tighten securely around me. It was happening again…

Samurakami chuckled, and my eyes widened at the same time Syaoran's arms snapped back to his sides. Slowly, I took my hands off his chest. He was looking away, blushing, and I was looking down, blushing. "Uhh…sorry…"

"Yeah…" he murmured.

I walked away quickly, going back in to the school, and slipped into the staff room for some coffee…or whatever. I opened the door, and heard some hushed voices.

"…we talk to them about it?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure…they seem pretty intense…"

I was pretty sure they were talking about Syaoran and me. I sighed lightly.

"Hey, it'll be okay," the girl's sweet voice assured the other one.

"I hope so," the man's voice sighed. Then I realized I knew both of these voices—Rika Sasaki and Yoshiyuki Terada; he was the one that always looked empathetic.

I was curious now, and peeked in. They were embracing each other, Rika's head on Yoshiyuki's chest, and they murmured 'sweet nothings' to each other. I blushed just having been witness to it. Being me, of course, I leaned in to close and whacked my face on the door frame. I then began writhing in pain, attracting the attention of the couple. "Kinomoto-sensei!" Rika cried.

"Sakura-san!" Yoshiyuki dashed forward, and straightened me out. "Are you okay!"

I felt dizzy and light-headed; I pressed my hand to my forehead. "Owww…" I moaned. "…I feel woozy…" My legs buckled underneath me, and Yoshiyuki (crap, his name is too long! He is now called Yoshi) caught me.

"Sakura-san! Lie down; I'll go get some ice!" he said, handing me over to Rika, who gently walked me over to the couch. I flopped down on it, groaning.

"Damn, that hurt a lot…" I grumbled.

Rika giggled…in a concerned way. "Yoshi's getting you some ice, okay? Just close your eyes and stay still for a few minutes." (See? I'm not the only one who thinks his name is too long!)

I bit my lip. "Rika-kun…"

"Please call me Rika-chan, Sensei," she piped in.

"Er…okay…" I said. "Anyway, Rika-chan…if you don't mind me asking…well, I guess it was really all explained back there…"

She smiled. "Hai. Yoshi and I are in love," she told me.

Wow. She was very mature, like she was Yoshi's age herself. "I won't tell anyone," I whispered.

"We'll be getting married in the summer, I'm sure, so it'll be out soon. Oh, but I heard you had a fight with Syaoran-kun."

I groaned. "Rika-chan, I—,"

"Here's some ice, Sakura-san," Yoshi burst in hastily with a bag of ice. He handed it to Rika, who put it gently down on my head.

A few minutes later, the pain was almost completely gone. I sat up and sighed. "Thank you, Rika-chan," I said, hugging her. I turned to Yoshi. "Can I call you Yoshi-san? No offense, but…"

He chuckled. "Sure. Lots of people do." I smiled, and hugged him to.

I walked to the door, and then put a finger to my lips. "Your secret's safe."

Suddenly, the boys burst through the door, Chikafuji and Eriol supporting Syaoran. He looked awful; he was sweating and panting, with blood running down his face and a gash in his arm. The head blow must have been hard to have broken his little 'barrier'.

I gasped. "Syaoran-kun, daijoubu?"

He coughed up some blood; I saw Yoshi run off to get some towels. "No," he choked. "

I took him from the boys, and set him lightly down on the table. "What _happened_, you fool?"

He coughed up more blood before speaking. "Some guy came—it looked like he was in the same school as the creeper that," he said, his eyes flashing. "I told him to leave, but he took a rock half the size of my head out and whipped it at me, followed by running up and cutting my arm. Agh, he was such a wuss, he just ran away when he go the chance. And he only got one because he whipped a _rock_ at my _head._"

Yoshi came back with a towel, and I cleaned up the injury from the rock. It left a big mark, but he's so lucky as to have long bangs to cover it up. You can't even tell he got hurt. When I was treating him, there were a lot of _ow_s, growls and _ngh_s. I smiled; imagine the great Syaoran in such pain!

Then I disinfected and cleaned his other cut, and bandaged it. He looked good as…Syaoran. I looked at him, and decided to wash his face, as well. Then, he looked better.

"There…does it hurt, or something? Anywhere?" I asked him.

He shook his head, jumping down from my 'work surface'. "Thanks, Sakura," he mumbled. Then everyone in the room stopped moving. His eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with his hand. "Uhh…I-I guess it was the…'fight' we had earlier…m-must of caught on…e-eheheh…s-sorry…" he stammered, rubbing his head and laughing nervously.

He caught my eye and we quickly looked away from each other, blushing. I saw Rika and Yoshi exchange a small smile.

I pursed my lips. "…Whatever, just call me Sakura, I don't care…" I mumbled, grabbing my bag and slipping past him through the door. I felt his eyes piercing my back as I walked away down the empty hallways.

I got outside and stretched, taking a deep breath. I shook my head, sighing.

"Hey, Sakky," my deep, silky voice crowed, grasping my hand. I looked over to Ayumu, and gasped.

"What are you doing here, Ayumu-kun?" I asked.

He smiled back to me, flipping his long (for a guy) dark hair. "You took so long, so I thought I'd come get you," he told me. "What were you doing?"

"Well…I—," I cut myself off abruptly. _What'll he think if I tell him about Syaoran…? He was in Okinawa when the story aired, so he doesn't know anything…_ "I just had to take care of some business. No biggie."

There was a click and a giggle; I looked over and saw Tomoyo with her camera, smiling at me. "Hey, lovebirds," she said. I opened my mouth, but she shook her head. "I'm here the same reason Ayumu-san is."

I grinned at her. "You guys worry too much. Shall we go?"

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

The guys took a hint not to follow right after me. I ran my fingers through my hair as I walked down the halls. I sighed. "Good job, Syao," I muttered to myself. "Now everyone thinks you're…" I trailed off. What was I gunna say next? Creeper? Freak? Dating Sakura? AGH! There I go again! _Why does it feel and sound so much better when I say Sakura instead of Sensei? _I sighed again.

I pushed the door open, groaning. I heard some voices, and I recognized Daidouji, Sakura's friend, and Sakura herself…two times in one sentence. Can't I just say I like flowers and end this?

I looked, seeing that I was right, but there was some other dude that looked like a male model, with a deep voice that would probably make all four of my sisters' knees weak. He was holding Sakura's hand, and they were laughing and smiling…

I pressed myself against the wall, wondering what good it would do. There was something nagging in the back of my mind that told me to stay and see what he was to her. I don't know why, but the front of my mind was curious, too, so I decided to inflict voyeurism upon myself and stay. (I hope that made sense…) Jee, I was doing so much good for myself today…

"Really? Tomoyo-san made a normal outfit for you?" the guy said, mocking surprise.

Daidouji laughed, and whacked his head with her hand.

Sakura hugged him, giggling. "Yep, it was the one I was wearing when you came over last night!" My fists clenched involuntarily.

Now he was actually surprised. "Seriously? That was a really nice outfit, Tomoyo-san—Sakura looked _really_ sexy with that on," he said, chuckling as Sakura went pink. A growl rumbled softly in my throat.

"O-okay, let's go now…" Sakura mumbled, still blushing. The guy grinned at Daidouji and they started to walk away.

"Whatever you say, Sakky," he said. I bit back a hiss that randomly erupted from my throat.

As they walked off, Daidouji fiddled with her camera, and then she noticed me. I froze, unsure of what she—or I—would do. She smiled, excitement glimmering in her eyes. She winked at me, then waved and stalked back over to Sakura and the guy.

"What are you so happy about, Tommy?" Sakura asked.

Daidouji giggled softly. "Oh, nothing," she said, and I could tell she was lying. She glanced back at me, still smiling.

When they were out of sight, I punched the wall. "Argh!"

I was so confused. She had a guy, and…I don't know why, but I was pissed. I just wanted to run after him and pop the dude in the face. Luckily, I restrained myself.

* * *

**Didja like it? I hope so! Ooooo...please review! Please! Thank you! (And sorry!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6_**

**Heya, everyone!!! First, I'd just like to point out how sorry I am for the uber update time, but I was trying to update all of my fics at the same time, and so it took very long. Sorry, again!!!**

**Also, I was thinking of making a CCS one-shot, but I wanted another opinion to see if it's a good idea....I'll give a description of the story:**

**Syaoran won't stop pestering Sakura to date him. She always says no, but secretly, she really, _really _likes him. And then, he stops. Stops talking to her, asking her out...she even sees him with other girls!! Then, Sakura falls deathly ill, missing school for two weeks. When taken to a doctor, she is told that she will die. But all she can think about is how Syaoran would never know her true feelings. Will she tell him? Will she die before she can? And why did Syaoran suddenly start acting like that? **

**All these will be answered in the story, and more....that is, if you guys think I should write it!!! Please tell me in your review!! (remember that if you're not a member, you can review anonymously...)**

**Anyways, I think we should get on with The New Teacher, so here you gooo!!!**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

The next day at school, I felt…refreshed. After about a half-hour with Ayumu and Tomoyo, we ran into Kero and Yue at the mall. They were whispering in the shadows, and Kero looked uncomfortable, but as soon as they saw us, they straightened up and beckoned for us. I thought no more of it after that.

The five of us bought ice cream and played a bunch of video game demos and took a whole bunch of pictures. It was sooo much fun!!

…And yet, it felt like something was missing.

I shook the feeling off as the bell for first period rang and my students filled the room. Yamazaki, Eriol, and the others were all laughing, but…not Syaoran. The other boys waved at me and greeted me like we were old buddies…but not Syaoran. He wouldn't even look me in the eye.

_Why? _I thought, my brow creasing. _I didn't do anything…or is it because of yesterday after school when he called me 'Sakura' and everything…?_

It was amazingly awkward. I ended up in a staring contest with Naoko. I think she was kind of frightened.

I thanked the Lord when the bell finally rang. Syaoran was the first one out the door, and Eriol shot me an almost apologetic look. I sighed.

"Awkward, isn't it?" Rika's voice came from behind me. I turned around and there she was, with Naoko and Chiharu by her side. She was smiling that mature smile that only Rika can smile…while Chiharu had her outgoing look and Naoko with her timid one…

"Er, Naoko-chan, sorry if I scared you, but I couldn't look anywhere else," I said, laughing nervously.

She smiled back at me. "It's all right, Sensei."

"Shouldn't you girls be going to your next class?" I asked, going into sensei mode.

Chiharu smirked. "Don't think you can get rid of us that easily," she said, shaking her finger at me.

Rika giggled. "We all have free period right now. So we figured we'd come talk to you." She pulled a chair from under the nearest desk to her and Chiharu plopped down in it.

"Thanks, Rika-chan," she said, winking.

Rika pursed her lips but pulled out another one and sat on it. "Anyway, I know that awkward feeling. It was like that with Yoshi and me when I first called him Yoshiyuki. It was quite funny, really. He started to blush and fumble about with his things. The other kids in the class had no idea what was going on!" She was laughing now.

"But, you really should understand that my relationship with Syaoran-kun isn't like that…" I said. "We can hardly even call ourselves friends!"

But I knew they weren't taking it. They were giving me amused grins. And it didn't help that I was blushing.

"It's just like a shoujo manga!" Naoko squealed.

"Or a drama on TV!" Chiharu giggled.

Rika didn't say anything, but I could tell what she was thinking. _"Or like my life." _I smiled at her, and she returned it.

Then I remembered I was just helping to lead them down the wrong path! "A-ah! N-no! Like I said before, it isn't like that with us! Why must I keep repeating myself!? Garh!" I was flailing my arms around and everything; I felt like I was in high school again myself!

I almost flew through the ceiling when my cell phone started singing Ankoku Tengoku and vibrating in my pocket. I answered it hastily. "Moshi moshi?"

"Sakky-chan!" Ayumu's happy voice blasted into my ear. I was already frustrated, and now I was developing a headache. I was tempted to tell him to shut up before, a) throwing the phone at the wall, or b) eating it. But I didn't, thank God.

"What?" I croaked instead.

"Guess what, guess what!? I'm coming to your school during, hmm, a surpise? Okay! Well, bye, love ya!" He quickly hung up, his laughter still ringing in my ears.

"Who was that?" Rika asked. All three girls were staring at me with huge eyes; since when do high school students care about their sensei's personal life? Creepy.

"Ayumu—,"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! EVERYONE!!! LI SYAORAN-SAMA IS IN A FIGHT IN THE GYM!!!! COME NOOOWWWW!!!!" a crazed dude ran through the halls, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Sama…? What the…?" I muttered, getting out of my seat to look out the door.

"Go, go, let's go!" Chiharu squeaked excitedly, nearly breaking my arms as she slammed into me trying to get out.

"Ow! Okay, let's go…"

We rushed to the gym, and sure enough, Syaoran was glaring at an easy-going, cute guy with another uniform. He had short green hair and long bangs and legs; some girls were gawking at him, while others switched from Syaoran to him.

"Why are you here, Daisuke?" Syaoran growled.

"Aww, Syaoran-chan, why must you be so cold?" he said playfully. He jumped over to Syaoran, almost inhumanly, and a simultaneous gasp rippled around the crowd. Daisuke, as Syaoran called him, stroked Syaoran's chin teasingly. "After all, we've known each other for a long time…"

_What? _"I don't care, Daisuke. And…s-stop doing that!" Syaoran jumped away from him, embarrassed.

Daisuke laughed. "You haven't changed, have you, Syaoran-chan?"

Syaoran glowered at Daisuke. "Leave here. Now."

"Oh yes, my friend Hanajima is wondering if you'll help him break into his principal's house and take everything out of his safe. He's loaded, and Hanajima knows the code. You'll get a share, too."

"When?"

I gasped. _How can Syaoran even consider that…!?_

"This Saturday, 11:30pm. The principal goes out to a club every Saturday around that time and doesn't get back until around 3:00am. Interested?" Daisuke asked, cocking his head to the side.

Syaoran looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked at Yamazaki. He shook his head. "We have a fight scheduled that night."

Syaoran looked back at Daisuke. "Sorry, but no."

"That's okay." He hesitated. "A fight, hmm…? Well, let me test your skills!" In a flash, Daisuke's knee was in Syaoran's face. He flew back in what seemed to be slow-mo.

"Syaoran-kun!!" I gasped, cupping my hands over my mouth. He crashed into the wall, but got up without hesitation, spitting blood from his mouth.

"Why-y-you…" he growled. He took a Chinese fighting stance and leapt at Daisuke, his right fist outstretched. Daisuke smirked, and held up his hand to block the attack, but Syaoran quickly jabbed his left fist into Daisuke's ribs. His teeth clenched, and his eyes narrowed. He leaned down and now had the stance of…a cat?

"Aw, Syaoran-chan, you aren't fighting with spirit…" I saw his eyes flicker swiftly to me and then back. "But I see Kinomoto-dono is here today. Perhaps if I…?" In the blink of an eye, he was at my side. I shrieked and blushed when I felt his hand slip into the back pocket of my jeans. He purred at my side. I was in total shock because of what he was doing and the fact that it had happened so fast!

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "You're disgusting." Daisuke didn't move. "Get off her." Still, nothing. "Now."

"No. Ah yes, I saw you with a handsome young man yesterday, and you were closely holding his arm…your partner?" Daisuke asked, his attention suddenly on me.

I blinked. "Eh…? Oh, ah…hai…" What was happening again? "…Eh?"

"Argh!" Syaoran leapt at Daisuke, and caught his shoulders. They both went flying back, right out the doors of the gym!

Everyone was kind of in a state of shock. I snapped out of it, and raced out the doors after him. "Syaoran-kun!?"

He lay there for a minute, unmoving. Daisuke watched him. Finally, Syaoran sat up, then stood. "I'm fine, Sak…nn," he said, trailing off and looking away as a light pink spread across his cheeks. He wiped the blood from his mouth, glaring at Daisuke. "You're mine," he growled, then ran forward at an astounding speed. His hands balled into fists, and Daisuke did something weird, but it was really fast and I couldn't see…

Then it was like BAM! They were on opposite sides now. Daisuke was closer to me now, and he winked at me. I frowned. Suddenly, a few dark spots caught up with him. He touched one of the bruises, chuckling. "Well, well, Syaoran-chan…you're good…" Then a few cuts appeared on his shirt.

I looked frantically at Syaoran, thinking that if he could do that, then who knows what Daisuke did to him…

Syaoran was already standing, his back to Daisuke but his eyes piercing him in a death glare. His sleeves fell off, then his shirt split in half and landed on the ground. Some girls started squealing, but stopped when blood spurted from numerous spots on his torso.

He yelled loudly before swiveling around on his heels with his teeth bared. He made some…oh God. Hand signs?

"What is this, Naruto!?!" I cried. "Stop this!" He paid no attention to me, and started muttering in Cantonese.

After his little Chinese spell thing, he said, "Ancient Chinese martial arts attack…Fist of the Dragon!!" One leg crossed over the over, and one arm lurched forward while the other bent at his side.

"Oh man…this is starting to be like a corny martial arts movie…" I mumbled.

Syaoran launched himself at Daisuke, moving very (very) fast (very fast!!!) and swerving in and out at random places. Daisuke's eyes tried to follow him, but he eventually just closed them. Finally, Syaoran's fist hit Daisuke's jaw and he flew backward. But he grabbed Syaoran's shoulder and pulled him along, too. When the dust cleared, Syaoran jumped up. "Why do I always have to do this on you!? I hate using Chinese martial arts!" he spat. Daisuke stood quickly.

"Then don't. I'm getting sick of this, too." He held his fists in front of his face, smirking. "Come at me with your street smarts."

Syaoran smiled. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"

Suddenly it was a brawl like any other, with punches and kicks going everywhere, and blood spattering the ground. Well, not like any other, a very intense, dangerous type of thing…

"STOP! SYAORAN-KUN, LISTEN TO ME! STOP RIGHT NOW!" I screamed. They ignored me. I growled and clenched my fists. I was going to play my trump card. "Stop now, Li Syaoran-san. As your sensei, I have authority, and I say stop, so you'd better," I told him in a firm, loud voice. His leg stopped mid-kick. He looked at me incredulously, his mouth hanging open. Daisuke took advantage of this and punched him in the face. Syaoran hit him back, but he was less focused now. I'd thrown him off. The fight continued. I grit my teeth. I guess I'd never really considered our relationship to be sensei/student kind of thing, but now I had no choice. _"I said stop now," _I growled. Both boys stopped with their fists just inches from one another's face. "Li Syaoran-san, you have detention with me. Daisuke-san, I am letting you off with a stern warning. Your school will be notified. Leave now."

Daisuke gave a pained look to Syaoran, who was clenching his teeth in anger. He bowed. "…Gomen nasai…" He walked to the gate. _Wow, that was easy. I guess since they know each other and all, it's easy to separate them in a fight. _

"Li Syaoran-san, come with me," I said. "Now."

--

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I kept pace with Sakura. My eyes stayed on the floor, but I knew I'd have to look at her soon. I'd never seen her get so angry before. _She's just lucky it was Daisuke…_

I scanned the hall. It seemed to go on forever. No one was there; they were all in class now that the crowd had been cleaned up and the third period bell had rung.

I inhaled deeply. _Take a chance, I guess._ "So…S-Sakura…san…" I said, unsure of what to call her. "Go—,"

"That's Kinomoto-sensei to you, Li-kun." Her voice was stone, but at least it was just 'Li-kun' now.

"Why are you suddenly acting like this?" I asked in a whisper. I heard a slight whimper from her. _Hmm…_She didn't answer. The hall was completely deserted. "Answer me…Sensei." Still, no answer; her bangs covered her eyes. "Kuh." _So, now I think I might… _I stepped in front of her. She looked at me blankly. "Why are you suddenly acting like this?" When she didn't give me an answer, I sighed. _I'll have to take advantage of…_(Haha, I even trail off in my thoughts…but this is no time for jokes!!)

I pushed her against the wall, putting my right forearm against it as well. My left hand brushed the wall, and I was close to her. She couldn't really try to run away. "Why are you suddenly acting like this?" I repeated for like the tenth time. I leaned in close to her ear. "Our relationship isn't like this, Sakura. You know it isn't right. Why did you do what did, do what you are?" I asked in a whisper.

There was a silence, with only our breathing to be heard. Her breath was almost uneven on my chest. "Sakura?" I whispered again.

"Get…off, Li-kun. This isn't for a student and a teacher to be doing," she said. She sounded like an actual teacher now!! I looked at her, into her eyes. My vision clouded, and I quickly shut them and looked away. I took my hand off the wall.

Another silence.

This time she broke it. "The office is there, Li-kun."

"…Right."

"Sakky-chan!!! There you are!"

I turned around. _Ugh! _It was that pretty boy that she was with before!

I clenched my fists and my teeth. _Rrgh! He makes me _so _mad!!_

Then I remembered what Daisuke had said— _'Ah yes, I saw you with a handsome young man yesterday, and you were closely holding his arm…your partner?'_

'_Hai.'_

--

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

Finally an excuse to look away from Syaoran's pained eyes. I looked over to Ayumu. "Ayumu-kun!" I gasped.

He hugged me. "I told you I was coming, so don't be surprised," he said, winking. Then he noticed Syaoran. "Oh, hi. You're one of Sakura's students, I presume?" He smiled.

Syaoran's eyes were dead, and he gave no response.

"Sensei!" Rika's voice rang out. Her and a few other girls came up. They studied Ayumu. "Who's this?" she asked, giggling.

"This is Ayumu," I said, looking away. "…My boyfriend."

They gasped. I stole a glance at Rika; she looked like she was in shock. I quickly looked at Syaoran, but he was turned away.

It was like we were suddenly the only people there. The tension crackled like Rice Krispies as I stared at his bare, torn back. I really didn't want it like this. But I had to if I ever wanted him to listen to me. It hurt so much; it's funny. I thought we hated each other so much, but now I guess we're like…siblings. I bit my lip. I was so unsure of what I wanted from the world now. _I wish we could go back to the way we were before. Happy. _I didn't know whom I was whining to. I opened my mouth, but it was a while before anything came out. "Li-kun."

He looked at me with those dead, hurt eyes. _I'm so, so sorry Syaoran! _I wanted to shout. _This isn't really me._"Li-kun," I repeated. It took so much power to meet his eyes. "Please go to the office." I could feel Rika's gaze on me now, too. "You need to have your wounds tended to, and a replacement shirt. Plus, your punishment will be decided there. I assume you can go in yourself." _Please try to get _me _back, Syaoran! _I yelled at him in my mind. _Don't go…! I don't…!_

He stared at me, and I almost had a mental breakdown. My teeth clenched together.

Finally, he responded. "…Right," he said. He turned away. "Kinomoto-sensei." That stabbed at my heart, and I lost my breath for a second. He started to walk away. _No! Come back, Syaoran! Tell me off for all of this again…! _He kept on going. _Syaoran!!_

And then he was in the office. The door slammed loudly. He was gone.

_I wish we could go back to the way we were before. Happy. The world seemed to be right. _The tears collected in my eyes. _It was confusing. We got lost in each other's eyes, and always seemed to meet up on the street. You protected me when I needed you. _The tears rolled down my cheeks and my lip trembled. _We were never really in a teacher-student situation. _

So many things I was unsure of now. Like nothing was real.

However, there was one thing I was sure of.

All because of one stupid little fight and my stupid want for his safety turning into a stupid phony act…

My relationship with Syaoran would never be the same again after this.

--

**:( Oh. A sad arc in the story. I don't know. I was just writing, and then the events seemed to fall into place like that. Oui, (Eheh, French:DI take French in school) maybe the fight wasn't intense, but Sakura just felt sad or hurt that Syaoran wouldn't listen to her, and then with the stuff in the other chapter, Sakura felt that she was a teacher, and it was time to act like one. So, please review, especially if you want another chapter, or have an opinion for my one-shot! Should I make it? Should I not? Up to you! Lots of drama in the next chapter? Will they never talk to each other again? Up to me!:D Please review! ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

**Hey guys. Sorry for the kinda long wait this chapter. ^^"**

**Oh, and I'd like to give a big thank you to all reviewers. THANK YOU! IT makes me so happy:') ...Readers are special too. Just not as special. **

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I stepped onto the school property, my bag over my shoulder and a cigarette in my mouth. Of course, I took a back way into the school, where kids like me hung out. No teachers really came around that way, so we smoked and drank there while we skipped classes and stuff. Fights went down back here, too.

Yamazaki, Samurakami, Eriol and a few other guys were already there. I smirked and set my bag down.

"Ahh, the sweet smell of tobacco and nicotine," I sighed, leaning against the building. Eriol smiled and Yamazaki chuckled.

"Isn't it great, havin' a place like this to just hang out?" Samurakami said, swinging his hands out.

A guy with bleached hair laughed. "PLEASE don't get all sentimental and poetic again, Sammy."

Samurakami grunted and sat on the ground, muttering about appreciation.

I laughed. "It's okay, Kami. 'Least you get better marks than grandpa over here," I told him, pointing at the guy who'd spoken.

"Hey! I _bleached_ my hair myself, okay!?" he fumed.

I stuck my tongue out at him. He sat and grunted, too.

"Hey, Li!" a rough voice called my name. I turned and saw the source glaring at me; he'd clearly just come from the regular school entrance. Plus, he was pissed.

"Hey, Matsuoka. What's up?"

"Your little missy just busted me, I hope you know!" he spat. _My little missy? _"She's suddenly super uptight--now she's even worse than the other teachers here! She told me my headband wasn't uniform, and she confiscuateded it!"

"It's 'confiscated', meathead," Eriol muttered, giving him a dirty look.

He blushed. "WHATEVER! Look, man, all I'm sayin' is that since you dumped 'er, she's totally vicious now, and nails you anything and everything! You better take her back or else I do some serious damage to your face!"

I grinned and touched my face. "But how could you ruin this beautiful visage?"

He frowned…hard. "In a lot 'a ways, that's how. You just better take her back!"

"Take her back? We were never together!" I protested.

"Please! I saw you guys in the alley, the hallway, and other places…it sure as hell _looked _like you were 'together'!"

I blushed. "You saw that…? I didn't think…" Eriol hit me on the back.

"Keep your cool, Syaoran-kun…" he murmured.

"Right," I whispered.

But Matsuoka was gone when I looked up again.

* * *

I soon realized what he meant. She was being _totally _unreasonable! She gave me a thirty-minute detention to go on top of the 'special classes' that Mizuki-sensei wouldn't let us out of. And all _just _because I didn't finish my homework!

"Right, because _that's _so new, right?" I asked heatedly. It was _her _fault she was being like this, not mine! "Because I _always _do my homework and hand it in on time!"

"Li-kun, please sit down," she replied, her eyes not leaving the assignments piled on her desk. "You are being punished for not meeting the school's requirements."

"Uh, yeah, except that's just _really stupid!_" I yelled back at her. "It was never a problem befo--,"

"That's a forty-five minute detention now, Li-kun," she cut me off sharply, her brow furrowing at the papers.

"_Don't cut me off," _I growled. She was making me mad now. "It was never a problem--for any of us--before you suddenly _turned on me_ during the fight with Daisuke!"

She looked up at me, her eyes angered and hurt at the same time. _"One. Hour. Detention," _she spat. "And that all goes on top of your 'classes' with me."

I smirked. "There! Ha. You can't get away from those," I told her. "We're supposed to learn how to get along with each other. Well, isn't that perfect, right? What'll we be working on today? You _not _being a total bi--,"

"Manners," she spat, cutting me off once again. "I'll be teaching you proper manners. Now sit before I send you to Mizuki-san."

My eyes widened. Now 'Kaho-chan' was 'Mizuki-san'? This is when I realized this woman had serious issues.

I clenched my teeth and glared hard at her before falling back into my seat. The other students sat there in an awkward silence, pretending to work. On my paper, I just scribbled _'F U' _on the page overtop of the math questions.

I was the first one out of the class when the bell rang. I wanted to be close to her…

But I really wanted to be as far away as possible.

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

Tears sprung to my eyes after all the students had left. I just had to endure being nothing more than a teacher to everyone…including Syaoran.

I quickly rubbed them away when there was a knock on the door. "C-come in!" I called.

Fumiko Sano came in, smiling brightly. She was always happy, and the students all liked her(for a teacher). Her shiny blonde hair (she admitted to dying it) hung down her back, and her brown eyes shone with happiness. "Hey, Saku-san!"

"Oh…hey, Sano-san," I replied, trying my best to smile at her.

She frowned. "No, no, no! What happened to Fumi-san!?" she huffed, irritated. "You've suddenly become so depressed since your fight with Syaoran-kun. Cheer up!"

I laughed genuinely. "I'll try…Fumi-san."

"I know what'll cheer you up!" she announced. "The school trip to Kyoto! YAAAY!"

"The…?"

"The school trip to Kyoto! YAAAY!" she repeated. "We're going to stay in Kyoto for about two weeks! Kaho-chan is asking for chaperones--and that's all. The teachers that are coming will hardly be teachers on this trip. I thought it was kinda illegal to do this, but Kaho-chan's always been a strange one, like she isn't actually human! Haha!" She took a breath. "Anyways, the teachers get five 'freebies' everyday."

"Freebies…?" I asked.

"Yep, freebies," she said, winking. "Us teachers get to do…shall I say, 'bad things' with our freebies. Like, we could go to a bar and get drunk: freebie one of day one. Then, we could go back to the inn we'll be staying at and get drunk: freebie two of day one." She laughed.

"And…we're allowed to do this stuff? The board won't get mad…?" I asked, astonished.

"No! And that's what's awesome! It's like Kaho-chan persuaded them with a spell or something!"

"It was something quite like that, Fumi-chan…"

"Kaho-chan!" Fumiko and I both stood and yelled her name at the same time. She was there so suddenly!

"Wh-what did you say, I didn't hear it," Fumiko said.

Kaho shook her head, smiling. "No, it was nothing. Just muttering to myself."

"Well…okay then!" Fumiko said. -_-" _That trustworthiness will be your downfall, Fumiko…_ "Here are the permission slips for your class, Saku-chan!" She handed them to me, bowed, and left.

I set the sheets down on my desk, laughing nervously. "It sounded like you said, 'It was something quite like that, Fumi-chan' when she said about a spell. I heard wrong, right?" I think I'm going insane.

Kaho smiled and whispered into my ear, "You're hearing is just fine, Sakura. All will be explained soon."

Before I could respond, Kaho was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Holy crap! Two whole weeks in Kyoto!?" Chikafuji exclaimed when he got the letter.

"Please, no language like that in my class, Chikafuji-kun," I told him dully.

He huffed. "You used to say stuff like that all the time. _You _never got in trouble."

I slammed my hand on the desk. "Detention!"

"No!" Syaoran yelled. There was a pause. "He's not going to detention."

"Yes, he is," I replied coldly.

"No, he isn't," Syaoran growled back. "You have to stop taking out your anger or whatever on everyone else, Sensei." I didn't dare look into his eyes. I would fall apart if I did. "I know your problem's with me."

I didn't respond. I didn't have to; saved by the bell. As students shuffled out of my class, I saw Tomoyo and Ayumu standing at the door.

I stood glumly and walked over to them. "Hey, guys."

They exchanged a strange glance. "…Hi."

It was almost meaningless for Ayumu to kiss me hello. I know neither of us felt it, what with my gloomy state.

"Oh, hello, Li-kun, Hiiragazawa-kun," Tomoyo greeted, bowing.

I looked over, and sure enough, there they were. Syaoran's gaze was icy, but Eriol wore his usual smile.

"Konnichiwa, Daidouji-san," Eriol said.

Syaoran just stood there, glaring at nothing and everything. Doesn't this sorta thing make you a little uncomfortable?

I decided to keep my super teacher routine going. It hurt Syaoran's rep a bit, I think, 'cause they all think he 'left me' or something stupid like that. But, oh well; it's better for both of us. It's weird for a student and a teacher to just hang out like we did. Plus, he was draining my Ayumu time.

Oh. Which reminds me-- "Today, I have my sessions with Syaoran, plus a one hour detention. I won't be back home until around six thirty, okay?" I told them.

Ayumu raised his eyebrows. "Six thirty? I'm sure this kid has something better to do than hang around with you in detention for an entire hour after being here for like two hours already." He put his hand on Syaoran's head, and he blushed. Ayumu was taller than Syaoran, so I guess he felt vulnerable or something. "And I'm sure whatever he did didn't _really _deserve a whole hour of detention."

_Stop standing up for him, _I wanted to say. _He pisses me off. Can't he just leave me alone? _

"Damn straight, it didn't," Syaoran muttered, scowling.

"Really, you're just pinning this on yourself, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said, flicking her silky locks over her shoulder.

I changed the subject… rather subtly._ "So, do you guys wanna chaperone the trip to Kyoto we're going on? We leave on Monday, and you have to be decided by Friday."

Tomoyo sighed, but grabbed a paper.

"Wow, you guys get to do anything, basically?" Ayumu asked.

"I guess…but I wouldn't go too far on what I do, though," I said. "I still might lose my job, even with these freebies."

"I'm surprised at how much Kaho-san lets you do…you'd think a principal would be really strict, especially on trips like this one," Tomoyo jumped in.

"It's like she has a goal or something for someone to do, and she keeps dropping hints…" Ayumu trailed off as he read the permission slip in detail.

Eriol chuckled. I turned around, my stern teacher face in play. Syaoran was giving him a weird look and he was still chuckling. "Something funny, Hiiragazawa-kun?"

He straightened up and instantly stopped laughing. "Yes," he replied.

"What is it?"

"Nothing to bother you with, Sensei."

I frowned.

"Weirdo," Syaoran muttered. Eriol hit him lightly.

I sighed. "Well…I guess I'll start Li-kun's sessions now."

Ayumu smiled, but it wasn't the usual smile he gave me. "Right. I guess we'll leave then."

"Bye, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo sounded disappointed. "Ayumu and I will be coming on the trip with you, by the way." As she stepped out the door, I saw her wink at Eriol playfully before walking into the hallway. He went slightly pink, but kept his face composed.

When they left, I turned to Syaoran, not looking him in the eye. "Please have a seat, Li-kun."

Uh-oh. Now the awkward part. Alone with him when I REALLY didn't want to be. I knew we could never be friends like we were before, so something like this would have to suffice.

He ripped a chair out from under a random desk and slammed down into it. I pretended like he had sit down politely.

"Now, Li-kun, today we work on you manners," I told him. I picked a book off my desk. "What do you say when I hand this to you?" I shoved it into his hands.

"…Thanks?" he said. He sounded frustrated. Well, so was I. Deal with it.

"The proper term would be 'thank you'."

"Same difference. Look, I don't know why I'm here, all right? Can't we just make this detention and after an hour I can leave?" he asked, frowning at the floor.

"Oh dear," Kaho's voice chimed from the doorway. "Are you not happy here?"

"No," he said. Old me would have said it at the same time as him. Hmph. Oh well.

"Too bad. And this isn't about manners, Sakura-chan, it's about you two getting along better," she explained.

"I think we're past that point now," I said quietly. Kaho squeezed my shoulders.

"Please learn to get along. It's for your own good."

"Good luck with that," Syaoran seethed. "This cow's been getting stricter every minute. I think she's mentally retarded."

"I won't tolerate that kind of language in my class, Li-kun," I almost spat.

"Oh, right, except when it comes out of _your _mouth!" he retorted, glaring at me.

Kaho sighed. "Oh dear…it seems you two have become even worse than when we started…and didn't I say that if you didn't learn to get along, you'd get a punishment?"

I gulped. "Maybe…"

She smiled. "Well, it will arrive in the morning."

"…Excuse me?"

I knew Syaoran was just as confused as I was.

But we were both in for it…bad.

* * *

Near the end of class, everyone was done their work and chatting amongst themselves normally. Fumiko came in and handed me a stack of papers. They were the room numbers for everyone. I quickly leafed through them. The class kept chatting normally. Until they noticed me.

"Kinomoto-sensei…what's wrong?" Rika asked. "You're all pale…"

I forced a smile. "Oh, nothing's wrong."

"Uh-huh," Chiharu said skeptically.

"Eheh…well…the room numbers for everyone came in today," I explained, raising my voice so it reached the whole class. I waved the sheets of paper in my hand. "When I call your name, please come up and get yours.

"Yamazaki-kun…. Chikafuji-kun…. Fujiyoshi-kun…. Hiiragazawa-kun…." I read out all the names in the class, trying to keep my voice steady, when it really wanted to break down in the spasm of the century. Everyone came up.

"Yes!" Yamazaki exclaimed. "I'm with Eriol-kun! All right!" Eriol grinned and they did their weird little high-five thing.

"Damn," Syaoran groaned. "I was hoping to be with Eriol."

Yamazaki smiled and stuck his tongue out. Syaoran's arm lashed out, but Yamazaki jumped over a desk to dodge it.

Rika sighed. "It's like first grade all over again."

Chiharu giggled. "Yamazaki-kun's funny."

"Please stop this nonsense now," I called sternly. My hand shook as it gripped the last paper. The dreaded paper of doom. "L-Li-kun, come get your room number, and…I'd like to talk to you after class, please."

He walked up to the front. It seemed like forever until he got to my desk and took it from me. Poor tree. It would be killed only to be my downfall.

Syaoran looked at the sheet. I bit my lip. "Hey, whose in room 813?"

No one answered, just looked at him. He blinked. The bell rang, just in time. I was going to die from suspense.

"Sy-Li-kun, come here," I called. He looked at me when I started with his first name, a glimmer flashing through them. I pushed that thought away and focused on the matter at hand. "Kaho-chan is crazy," I whispered.

"Why, for putting me alone in a hotel room for two weeks?" he smirked.

I chewed my lip. "No," I said finally. "For putting you in a hotel room with _me _for two weeks.

**OMG!! I know, right! What will happen? Will things be revealed next chap? I dunno! Maybe if you review! :P (FYI, reviewing is not adding the story to faves-_-) Oh, and the one-shot I was talking about last time is up now! Please read it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

**Hey everyone! Here's the new chap...the first day at the hotel! Hope ya have fun reading it!**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I was in total shock. I had to share a room with a girl. A teacher. _Sakura. _

"Dude, how could they do this to me?" I asked Eriol. "It's so…cruel!"

He smiled at me, as usual. "I'm sure Mizuki-sensei has a…reason for doing this," he replied.

I snorted. "Whatever it is, it isn't good enough. I mean, they should be friggin' arresting her for doing this!"

"Syaoran, calm down," he said, lighting a cigarette. "It's your big chance to make amends. She won't be able to get away from you." He laughed. "I wonder how many beds will be in the room!"

I scowled. "Eriol, this isn't funny. I'm kinda really freaked out!"

"I'm sorry, man, but you should see this as a good thing. Hey, maybe you'll accidentally walk in at the wrong moment, and it'll all go good from there…"

"Stop talking, dude."

"Maybe you'll be engaged by the time we leave!" he said, chuckling.

I blushed, and shoved my face in between my knees to hide it. "That's nasty," I mumbled. I said that, though deep down, I think a part of me was really happy that I'd be spending the next two weeks with her.

* * *

On the day of our leave, everyone had a bunch of bags, and was chattering excitedly. I tried to act casual in my own group of friends, though they were mostly with their roommates already. Finally an announcement called for everyone to get in line with the person they'd be sharing their room with, and I was forced to go find Sakura.

As I passed by people, I heard headphones blasting music. I recognized some songs; most of them were by Kero and Yue.

"I love them!" a girl with short black hair held back with a headband squealed. "They're so hot!"

"I know!" another girl, this one with dark brown hair parted in the middle, squeaked. "If I ever meet one of them, I swear I will ask him to marry me!"

The other girl laughed. "Like they'd ever marry you!" (Ooo, harsh)

I tuned them out and kept walking, remembering how chummy they were with Sakura. _Jerks, if you ask me, _I thought.

"Li-kun!" I heard Sakura calling, and looked to my right. "Get over here!"

"Coming," I called back, embarrassed. I was trying to keep my roommate a secret, making everyone believe I was in a room by myself. I knew it would come out, like, as soon as we got there, but at least this way I could avoid stares the whole way there.

It was pretty awkward. We had to sit beside each other on the bus. We didn't say anything to each other for the first half.

Some nerdy kid, Takamura, asked, "Li-sama, why are you sitting with Kinomoto-sensei?"

"Because we're—"

I cut her off. "I'm in a room alone. She's sitting with me because she was lonely."

He grunted and looked at his friend, Nerd #2. "More like 'cause you're getting married this summer."

I stood up angrily, towering over him. "Where did you hear that?" I grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground so his ugly face was level with mine. "It isn't true. It never will be. Never say anything about me or to me ever again or I will mess you up. If that's possible to someone as ugly as you." I put him down roughly and sat down. As if on queue, the bus hit a bump in the road as Nerd #2 and his friend stood in the aisle, terrified. Takamura fell back first, his head mashed into the side of the bus. Nerd #2 fell second, right on top of him. His head knocked off Takamura's chin with a satisfying _snap. _

"Li-kun, that was very inappropriate!" Sakura hissed.

I smiled. "Hey, guys, save it for later tonight in your room."

Everyone started laughing hysterically at them. They blushed and tried to stumble back into sitting, but failed and ended up rolling onto the floor together.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, holding my hands up. "Gays in action!"

"Li-kun, how _very _inappropriate!" Sakura hit me on the shoulder, but she was giggling, too. I accidentally looked into her eyes, and everything else suddenly went groggy. She was smiling sweetly from her giggle, and I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

I was leaning in on her, and then we hit a bump. It was a small bump, not enough to knock us back to our senses, but enough to make us fall back. I put one arm on either side of her, and moved in. I faintly heard the wind from outside the window as my face inched closer to hers.

A gigantor bump saved me. It threw me forward, over her head and straight into the wall. "Oww!!" I groaned, rubbing my head.

"Li-kun!" Sakura whispered.

I realized I was, like, on her and leapt back. I put my hand over my mouth as I flushed. I noticed everyone was watching with wide eyes; the wind I had heard was the people on the bus gasping at this wannabe-piece-of-crap-romance-novel.

"_Who_ was getting married this summer again, Eriol-kun?" Yamazaki laughed.

Eriol grinned back. "Gee, I wonder!"

The whole bus starting laughing and 'woot-wooting'. I felt the heat rise to my face.

"Sh-shut up," I muttered, a smile creeping onto my face. "It's the friggin' bus driver's fault."

I saw Eriol and Mizuki-sensei exchange a smile, but didn't even try to figure out what they were plotting.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Yamazaki jumped out of the bus, spreading his arms out and breathing in exaggeratedly. "Smell that sweet Kyoto air!!"

"Mmm," I said, smiling and hitting him on the back. "Tokyo pollution." He grinned at me and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Yay, you guys came!" I heard Sakura squeal. I looked over and groaned.

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I rushed over and hugged Tomoyo and Ayumu.

"Of course we came, stupid!" Tomoyo giggled. "Did you think we lied to you or something?" I smiled and shook my head. "Oh, by the way, do you know what room you'll be staying in with precious Syaoran?"

"Shut up! And no I don't."

Ayumu frowned. "I don't see how they can allow this."

"You're just jealous," Eriol snorted.

I gasped. "Hiiragazawa-kun! Where did you come from?!"

"Mommy," he winked. "And please, call me Eriol." He turned to Tomoyo. He took her hand and kissed it. "It's nice to see you again, Daidouji-san."

She laughed. "You're quite a gentleman, aren't you? And please, call me Tomoyo," she said in a slightly mocking voice.

"Gentleman? I think not," I muttered.

"Oh, come on, can't you boost my image for the ladies, Sensei?" he begged, slithering back to me.

I smiled. "Nope. Especially not when they're my best friend."

We were laughing and talking for a few minutes, when Syaoran walked over, not meeting my eyes (which was, potentially, a good thing) and handed me a card. Neither of us said anything; I just looked at the card; it said 813. Our room key.

"Oh," I said, stiffening. "Thank you, Li-kun."

"How come you call Eriol by his first name but not me?" he asked boldly.

"I…don't," I shot back, giving Eriol a bad look. He stuck his tongue out; the little brat knew this was going to happen!

"So that's why you call him Eriol-kun?"

I spun around on my heel angrily. "Look, you--"

"Okayy! Does everyone have their room key?" Kaho's voice rang out. "Great! Then lets move on into our homes for the next two weeks, shall we?"

The classes shuffled into the hotel, chattering excitedly. Kaho called out again. "I'll handle the checking in; you all just go up to your rooms and settle in!"

"WOOHOO!" Chikafuji burst out, punching the air. "This is gonna be awesome!"

"For you, maybe…" Syaoran muttered. I looked away and clutched my chest. _I'm so, so sorry, Syaoran, but…this is how it was meant to be. Students and teachers shouldn't be so close as we were; I respect the laws of teaching and will follow them with everything I have. So I turned up the teacher over-drive so you'd learn to stay away. _

Tomoyo pressed the button to go up on the elevator. Although it looked old-fashioned, they'd installed a whole bunch of technological crap in the hotel. It was the perfect combination, even if it was kind of strange seeing a traditional tea-ceremony set-up with a TV beside it. Heh heh.

The elevator arrived quietly, and when we stepped in, we were blinded with reflections of ourselves in the mirrors that covered all four walls. Everyone was so excited, they all piled in the first elevator, definitely exceeding the weight limit. I ended up being crammed into Ayumu, which I didn't mind at all. Then a couple kids got off on the fourth floor, and they pushed Syaoran into me. Bad, bad combination. Bad.

The tension crackled in the air; it was obvious Ayumu and Syaoran were furious with each other. A lot. The other students on the elevator laughed nervously and some of them even dared to turn around and look at the two tension-providers. "What are you looking at, douche-bags!? Turn around before I rip your head off!" Syaoran snapped.

"Li-kun!" I hissed. He ignored me.

Finally, the elevator got to the sixth floor. Tomoyo was sharing a room with Kaho and Ayumu was sharing a room with Yoshiyuki.

When we stepped off, Ayumu pulled me off to the side. "Look," he whispered. "I like the kid, okay? But I _don't _like the fact that you're staying with him! Plus with all his glaring at me, I'm starting to glare back, and now I'm really pissed at him! Can you please talk to Mizuki-chan about it?"

"I already _did, _Ayumu-kun. She's not going to change. And it's not like I want to stay with him, either, 'kay? I don't know what Kaho-chan is plotting, but it better be good…"

"Ayumu-san!" Yoshiyuki interrupted us and took him down the hall to their room…_way _down the hall. They were totally on the opposite end of room 813!

I shook my head and swiped the card to open the door to our room. By now, mostly everyone had shuffled into their own rooms, and I called Syaoran over to come in with his bags.

I sighed in relief when I saw two twin beds in the room. I threw my bags on the nearest one and Syaoran did the same.

"Hey," I said, turning to face him. "I was here first."

"So?" Syaoran replied. "I want that bed."

"So do I. And my bags were there first. So move them."

"Just go to the other bed. It's just a bed," he said, taking a step forward.

I stepped back. "Really? Then if it's just a bed, you can take the other one."

We continued backing up. "Why don't you?"

"Why are you making a big deal out of this? Just take the other bed!"

"I--waah!"

We had walked right into the second bed, and ended up tripping. My back hit the red covers and Syaoran landed on top of me.

"Uhm…" he squeaked.

I blinked and flushed.

"Sorry…" he looked at me, his amber eyes embarrassed.

Suddenly, his eyes were all I could see. And his soft, clear complexion, and bouncy chocolate hair…

The door opened. "Hello, I'm Tsubaki, and I'll be your personal maid! Is there anything I can--oh my!" she gasped as she us. We both looked over at her, blushing. In our daze, my arms had swung around his neck and our lips were too close to explain.

"Er…"

"Oh, no! I'll just leave you to and…bye!" She quickly shut the door and ran away.

Syaoran and I looked at each other. I flung my arms away from him and he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck.

He snorted. I bit my lip, holding back a smile. He turned around with a melting smile that actually made me gasp.

I never wanted that moment to end, but we had to unpack.

"Well, that was weird," I said as I swung my legs over the side of the bed to stand. "You can have that bed, Li-kun."

"Uh, thanks," he coughed, clearly still embarrassed. He chuckled. "Poor maid. We'll have to kill her now that she knows our secret," he said mockingly, laughing.

"Eeeep!" Tsubaki chirped.

I looked over and smiled. "Why, hello, Tsubaki-san. Just so you know, what you--"

"I won't tell anyone!! I won't!!! Please don't kill me, please! Here's your extra towels, bye!" She was out the door in a second.

Syaoran burst out laughing. "She actually thinks we're gonna kill her! What a dope! She probably thinks we're having an affair or something!" He continued to howl with laughter.

"How could she not?! We were on the bed, and…!!" I stopped myself, and Syaoran immediately silenced his laughter. "Ahem. Anyway, you look like a delinquent in every aspect. No, you _are_ a delinquent in every aspect. It's no wonder she thinks you're going to kill her!"

"Shut up." He started at his bags now, too. You can have two drawers, and I'll have one." He pointed to the dresser.

"Thanks," I said, opening the top one and throwing some stuff in.

"The proper term is 'thank you,'" he repeated what I had said in our last class.

"Quiet," I snapped. I decided to change the subject. "So, tell me why you hate Ayumu-kun so much?"

"I don't know," he told me. "It just bugs me that he's always rubbing up on you. Plus he looks like a total pretty boy."

"So you're jealous?" I asked, sticking my tongue out.

He rolled his eyes, but didn't answer. I smirked. "Oh, Syaoran-kun, I'm flattered!" I squealed in a highly mocking voice.

He looked at me incredulously. "You called me 'Syaoran-kun' again!"

I blinked. _Crap! _"Um, no I didn't."

He grinned evilly. "Yes, you did. Are you finally coming back to your senses?"

"Don't talk to me like that, Li-kun," I turned around and went back into stiff mode. Our little 'moment' brought out the side that wanted Syaoran.

Hey, don't get the wrong idea from me saying 'wanted'!

Syaoran sighed and went back to his own business.

I sighed, inwardly, too. I'd almost blown my cover there. _This is going to be a long two weeks. _

**This is one of my least favourite chapters. Sorry if you didn't like it that much, but the next chapter will be awesome, I guarantee it! ;) Please review!!!!! Thank you for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9_**

**Whuzzup! This is a very good chapter. I am happy with it. :3 I think you will be, too. (heheheh...) I can't wait to update the next few chapters. I love the idea that I got for them!!! But I have to pay attention to my other fics, too. The next chapter won't be up for a while though, because I need to update other fics and I am going away next week for the whole week. Also, I am now an official _BETA READER_!!! YAAYYY!!! If you ever want a beta reader, please come to me!! I will gladly help you!!! Now, on with the chapter!! (And please remember to review:3)**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

_That was…really weird. _

My heart was pounding a bit too fast for a me-Sakura-lost-in-gaze thing. I shoulda been kinda used to it now, right…? Geh. It wasn't like this before. And she didn't have to keep calling me 'Li-kun' when we both know she wants to call me 'Syaoran-kun'. I clenched my fists. Why did she have to be so stubborn?!

"Li-kun, could you please help me with this?" she asked suddenly, startling me.

I swung my legs off the bed. "Ah…hai." _Stupid stuck-up, snotty voice. Hmph. You're not a real teacher! Graaaahhh! _

Yes…I'm weird. Hey, what do you expect from the best delinquent ever?

I arrived just in time. She was in the bathroom, struggling with some towels. She was just about to drop them all down the toilet when I grabbed them from her.

"Tch," I told her. "There aren't even heavy." I looked at, smirking. "Are you _sure _you didn't just call me over here so you could see my beautiful face again?"

"Positive," she replied.

Rrr…

**_Tomoyo's Point of View_**

I stood just behind the door frame of my room, filming Kaho spying on Sakura and Li. She kept mumbling to herself about something that I couldn't pick up. _It might be on the camera later, _I thought as I closed my screen when I'd had about enough of spying on Kaho spying.

"Kaho-san," I said, as if I'd just spotted her. "What _are _you doing?"

"Ah!!" She straightened out, surprised. She whipped around, laughing nervously. "Ahaha…er, what _are _you talking about?"

I beckoned her into our room, not wanting to risk Sakura and Li hearing. "I'm talking about you spying on Li-kun and Sakura-chan all the time." I poured some green tea into two cups as I talked. When Kaho didn't respond, I decided to push the matter further. "I know that they aren't necessarily _normal, _am I right?"

She accepted the tea I offered her, sighing in defeat. "Nothing gets by you, eh, Tomoyo-san?"

I smiled, and she returned it. "So, please tell me about your reasons for watching them all the time."

Kaho stared into her cup for a moment, gathering her information. "Ano…to start with, magic isn't a fairytale. Many humans are deemed with magical powers, whether they are weak or strong, common or extraordinary. Myself, for example-- I am not of common magic, but I am not at an extraordinary magician either. I have enough magic and skills that I can get what needs to be done, done."

I nodded my head, blowing my tea to cool it off. "I see," I said after taking a sip. "Now tell me about Li-kun and Sakura-chan."

"Ah, now _they _are of extraordinary power. Thing is, they just don't know it. There was a prophecy from long ago that claimed two people would come together to defeat a certain doom that awaited the world. Those two people turned out to be Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan."

"But…how come they don't even know about their own magic?" I asked, slightly worried for Sakura's safety.

"Their powers were hidden deep within themselves for their entire lives…until they met each other. Whenever they look directly at one another, their magic is begging to be brought out and conjoined."

I stared into my cup for a minute, looking at my reflection. "Is that why they like each other so much?"

"Well…if we told them about the magic then I'm sure they'd convince themselves that that was why they were so attracted to one another…" She looked at mischievously. "But I think they'd fall in love even without the help of the magic."

I grinned. "So…how is it that one of you--you or Sakura-chan--don't get fired because of all this? I mean, a student and a teacher shouldn't have that sort of relationship, right?"

"Did I not _just _explain to you about magic, baka?" she sighed mockingly. "I don't see what the big deal is. Yoshiyuki-kun and Rika-san have been together for as long as I can remember. They think I don't know, but really, I don't care. They've done well so far in not letting any other teachers or troublesome students find out."

I was still smiling. "Your school's just full of love and magic. But tell me…what does Eriol-kun have to do with it?"

Kaho looked surprised. "Wow, you really do notice everything, don't you? Well, Eriol-kun has some magic, too. Not as much as Syaoran-kun but about as much as me. He doesn't use it much. Both he and Syaoran-kun are related to Clow Reed, but Eriol-kun is further away."

"So is he only best friends with Li-kun because of the prophecy?" I asked, frowning.

She shook her head. "He didn't know anything about the prophecy until I told him about it when he was a freshman. He was already best friends with Syaoran-kun, so I asked him to just keep an eye on his friend, and he agreed. He realized that Sakura-chan was a part of the prophecy probably as soon as she stepped into the room that first day."

A sudden thought occurred to me. My face fell. "But if Li-kun and Sakura-chan are destined to fall in love, magic or not, then what happens to Ayumu-kun, Sakura-chan's current boyfriend…?"

Kaho's eyes narrowed. "I get a bad vibe from that man," she said darkly.

"But why? He's such a nice guy," I defended.

"I know, but he may not be what everyone thinks he is…including himself."

I blinked and opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"So he couldn't interfere as much, I put him on the opposite end of the hallway. But I'm not sure if he'll be able to save Syaoran-kun from rash actions since their magic is getting more restless, and their feelings are getting stronger."

"So what do we do?" I asked. I didn't want to hurt Ayumu or Sakura (or Li) but if kicking Ayumu out of the picture for the fate of the world, so be it. "I can try and keep Ayumu-kun away from Sakura-chan."

"That would help, I believe." She grinned. "Now, let's see what alcohol can do to restless magic. Stage one--the bar!"

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

"Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun! We're all heading down to the bar soon! Wanna come?" Kaho poked her head in our door, smiling.

"Well, I'm not sure, Kaho-chan…" I replied.

"Great, we'll see you down there at eight then!"

"Ah, matte…!" I tried to call out to her, but she was already gone. I sighed. "I hate when she does that. Its like she's plotting something."

"Awesome! I bet they have some awesome drinks at that bar!" Syaoran exclaimed, excitement glittering in his eyes.

"No drinks for you, Mr. Minor." I told him firmly.

"That's what you think, hag," he muttered. "You can't stop me."

Secretly, I stuck my tongue out at him.

* * *

It was nine before I went down. Syaoran had gone down a little before eight, wanting to see the menu. I tried to stop him, but he didn't listen, the stupid delinquent. Oh well. His problem.

The first thing I saw, of course, was Syaoran and Eriol getting drinks.

"Rrgh, you guys--" I started, but Ayumu came over and cut me off.

"Hey, Sakky-chan." He hugged me, and I hugged him back. "…Is something wrong?"

"Yes," I told him, shooting daggers at Syaoran and Eriol. "Some baka minors are drinking over there."

Ayumu snorted. "Who cares about them? Me and you need to have some fun." He gestured to the dance floor. "I'll request a song for us and we can get some dancing started. What song do you want?"

"Uhh…oh! Ajisai Ai Ai Monogatari by Viyuden!" I suggested.

He smiled. "Sure thing!"

Tomoyo walked up to me cautiously. "So…having fun, Sakky?"

I giggled. "I just got here, Tommy."

"Oh, ahaha, right…so…hanging out with Ayumu-kun?" she asked.

I raised one eyebrow. "Something wrong, Tomoyo-chan…?"

"Ah…iie, I'm fine."

"Ano…okay…well, hai, I'm hanging out with Ayumu-kun. What's weird about that?" I asked, laughing lightly.

"Nothing!!" Tomoyo burst out.

I blinked. "Uhh…Tommy…"

Eriol came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Tomoyo-san is a little jumpy after we gave her some alcohol. Sorry about that, I guess she couldn't handle it."

She looked at him, confused. "Nani? Demo…I never had a…" They exchanged a look, and Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Ohh…! Uh, right!"

Eriol sighed softly and led her away from me. _Uhh…that was really weird…_

Ayumu came running back to me as Ajisai started. He grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the dance floor. We started dancing, and other students and regular customers joined in quickly.

**_Eriol's Point of View_**

I sat Tomoyo down in a chair. "I was so gentlemanly that I saved you back there, Tomoyo-san. You really shouldn't have done that."

Tomoyo sighed. "I know, but…now that I know what's going on, I really want to do something. If this prophecy is going to come true, then Sakura-chan shouldn't be hanging around with Ayumu-kun so much…"

"You can't really just tell her 'go hang out with Syaoran, dump Ayumu' can you?" I pointed out.

"I guess not…gah!" She pointed to the dance floor. I followed her gaze to Ayumu and Sakura. They had stopped dancing, and were just staring at each other. "They're gonna kiss, Eriol-kun, do something!" And sure enough, they did. He snaked his arms around Sakura's waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting into it. "Ahhh!"

"Don't worry, Tomoyo-san, look," I told her, leaning closer to her. "Look closely at Sakura-sensei's face."

"Sakura-sensei?" I heard her murmur before squinting for a better look. "I don't see anything."

"Here, let me help." I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder.

"N-nani…?"

I smiled. "Your heart is speeding up."

"Shut up. What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you some of my magic so you can see better temporarily," I explained. I let the magic flow from me into her. "Now look."

She squinted, and gasped. "She looks so uncomfortable! Like she's not enjoying it at all!"

"See? There might be nothing to worry about, after all." I stood up and held my hand out, smiling. "Care to dance?"

She nodded, smiling, and took my hand.

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

"Dancing is really tiring," I breathed. "I really need a drink."

"Okay," Ayumu said. "Can I keep dancing? I'm having fun, and I'm not tired yet."

"Sure."

I ran over to the bar and ordered a drink. It was delivered to me really quickly. Chikafuji and Yamazaki sat on either side of me, grinning. "Having a nice time, Sensei?"

I smiled and sipped my drink. "You really don't smell like alcohol," I said sarcastically. "You delinquents."

"Hey, right now, you're influencing us, so it's your fault!" Yamazaki laughed.

"This is only freebie number one," I told them, winking. "You'll have to see what I do next!"

We all laughed. "I'm glad you're back to your normal self again, Sensei," Chikafuji said. "It was really weird when you were all strict and stuff."

I didn't respond, just chugged the rest of my drink and asked for another one.

Yamazaki grinned. "Here comes freebie number two!"

"Huh?" I asked.

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" he chanted, standing. Chikafuji ordered various other drinks for me as everyone else chanted too.

I grinned and did as they said, and with the three other drinks and one shot of something really strong.

I stood up and punched the air. "Victory!" Everyone laughed and clapped.

I almost fell over, but a pair of strong arms caught me. I looked up; it was Syaoran.

He smiled. "You almost made me spill my drink."

We sat, and he downed the rest of his beer in one gulp. Great. Now we were both pretty drunk. (Please imagine this next scene with drunken aspects XD)

We kind of just glared at each other for a while. Then he said randomly, "Call me Syaoran-kun, like you used to. I know you want to stop this 'Li-kun' crap. And I'll call you…Sakura."

I growled. "No. I'll blow my cover if I do that."

He blinked. "Hwuh…?"

"You're stupid."

"No, _you're _stupid."

"I hate you."

"I hate you more."

Again, a glaring contest. Then, I went into that dreamy state that I got when I looked into his eyes. He stood up suddenly, making me jump. Because of the alcohol, I take it we were both still in our trance. Or at least, a little bit.

He bent down to look into my eyes, and I stood up aburptly…oh, oh. I mean abruptly. I stood up abruptly too.

We kind of half-frowned at each other for a few seconds. Someone bumped into me, and I almost lost my balance. Syaoran caught me (of course).

I think our next action kind of sobered me up. I think it sort of sobered us all up. Which meant we'd all remember the next morning. Oh, dear.

And suddenly, with effort from both sides, our lips met and locked tightly in a passionate kiss.

Freebie number three was _definitely_ gone.

**OMG! They kissed! What will happen now? :O PLEASE REVIEW! There will be lots of drama in the next chapter, I guarantee you! ;) Thanks for reading! **


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter 10_**

**Yo! Whuzzup? Here is The New Teacher chapter 10! X3 What's gonna happen now? **

**Oh, and I'd like to add, gomen nasai if you aren't a fan of the whole magical-plot-twist thing, but...yeah. Gomen. I promise, I'm going to make another CCS fic with no magic at all just for you guys. :3 And if you like it, well...your welcome. Don't care? Me neither XD**

**Ah! And I'd also like to point out that I am now officially a _BETA-READER_! If you ever need any help with your stories, please contact me! I'd be glad to help! :D**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

When we separated, we stared at each other. I still had my arms wrapped around her waist, and her hands were pressed against my chest. Her emerald eyes were confused and embarrassed, but also looked slightly satisfied.

"K-Kinomoto-sensei!" A girl gasped from the crowd.

I looked over to my right slowly, and that's when I realized that the entire club was watching us, blushing with wide eyes.

"A-ano…" I stammered, flushing. _What do I do? Crap! _

Suddenly, Sakura gasped and took her hands off my chest. "Y-your tongue…! I-it was in my mouth!" she yelled, her face colouring.

My ears burned. "I-iie!" I protested. "I thought yours was in--"

"He put his _tongue _in your _mouth?_" The girl from before again. Sigh. "Kyaa!"

"Kyaa…?" I muttered. "N-ne! It was _her _tongue that was in _my _mouth!"

She looked back at me, bewildered. "Nani! Was _not!" _

"Then what was the big lumpy thing in my mouth, huh?" I asked her.

"Then explain to me what was in _my _mouth!"

A moment of silence. Sakura blushed suddenly again and murmured, "A-ano…you can…let go of me now, Syao--!" Her hands shot to cover her mouth again as I quickly let go of her. Then I realized what she had said.

I grinned. "You called me Syaoran just now, didn't you?" I said smugly.

"I-iie!" she said.

My grin widened. "Yeah, whatever. I hope you realize there's nothing wrong with calling me 'Syaoran-kun,' baka."

She flushed and looked down. "…Yes, there is…" she murmured, suddenly looking heartbroken.

I blinked, not knowing what to do. All of sudden, she looked like she was gonna cry! "H-hey…wh-what's wrong…? I-I'm sorry for calling you stupid, I…!"

"Sakura-chan. What is the meaning of this?" _Rrgh. I think a vein just popped in my head. I really hate this Ayumu guy… _I looked at him. Ugh. I swear, under all that long hair, he had to be a girl.

Sakura gasped. "Ayumu-kun…!" I looked at her.

Ouch. _Stab. _

I had to look away from her quickly. She looked so horrified, and was touching her lips like they were monsters while she stared at Ayumu.

_Did she not enjoy that kiss at all…?_

I gotta admit, that kinda hurt. Just 'cause pretty boy had already 'claimed' her.

I glared at him. I just hated him so much.

"Ayumu-kun, that wasn't what it looked like!" Sakura's voice was desperate. She looked so horrified, and I clenched my teeth. I couldn't stand to just watch her get upset over this idiot being upset with her. Hmph.

"So you didn't just make out with one of your students while your boyfriend was dancing?" he challenged angrily.

Sakura's mouth hung open helplessly. After all, it was the truth…

"Well…I-I was under the influence! Gomen nasai, Ayumu-kun! It wasn't on purpose, please believe me…!"

Ayumu clenched his teeth together as he gave Sakura a hurt and angered look, and by the look on her face, it pierced through her. I couldn't stand it; I couldn't sit there and watch this retard hurt her.

I slammed my hand on the bar table, glaring at Ayumu intensely for a moment, then looking at Sakura. She looked lost as she gazed back into my eyes. I quickly looked away as to not drown in her eyes. "Don't blame her," I said directly to Ayumu. "I mean, _I _was the one who kissed _her,_" I lied, looking back at her.

Sakura's eyes widened and she blushed yet again. "Eh? No you--"

"HAHAHA!" I acted all drunk and pretended to stumble, wrapping her in my arms. Into her ear, I whispered, "Do you _want _this pretty-boy to hate you? Then go along with it."

"L-Li-kun, get off me!" she yelled, fighting back against me. I don't know if that meant she was gonna play along or not, but I didn't care.

"Hey!" Ayumu called to me. "Get off her!"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Blehh. Make me, you little--" My vision blurred, and this time I really did stumble. _Guess that _was _a bit much for me…_

Ayumu smirked. "Is that really all you can handle, Li?"

"Shut up! Did I _ask _you to talk to me? Iie. I was talking to you." I snarled. To my pleasure, my voice remained clear and strong. Also to my pleasure, I wasn't as drunk as before I started talking to Sakura.

"You should talk to me with respect, you ingrate! I'm twenty-two, and you're only eighteen! So shut it!" Ayumu pointed at me.

"Don't point, don't you know it's rude, you hypocrite!" I retorted.

He growled and clenched his fists so hard they turned white. I smiled and walked towards him. Mistake. As soon as I moved, I fell to the ground and whacked my head really hard on one the bar seats.

I grit my teeth as I touched the back of my head. "Kuso," I muttered. "Itaiiii…"

"Oh my God! Are you okay, Li-kun?" Sakura dashed to my side and helped me up.

"I-I'm okay," I replied, feeling dizzy.

She pursed her lips. "No you aren't…"

I smiled smugly at Ayumu. "See? She cares about me. There's nothing you can do about it. What's a kiss between friends?" _What crap am I spouting now? _My mouth took on a mind of it's own.

"A lot," he hissed back.

"Whate--"

I almost fell again, but Sakura caught me.

"Li-kun, you really need to lie down! You hit your head really hard!" Sakura whined.

My head was spinning, not to mention screaming in pain, and I felt sick. "…Hai…"

"Aww, poor baby needs a nap," Ayumu sneered. "What happened to those fighting words?"

"Can't you see he's seriously hurt? How can you provoke him after he fell onto a chair?" Sakura snapped at him.

I blushed. "Uh…that's not something you have to repeat to the world in a loud voice."

"You shut up."

"…Ah."

I looked at Ayumu…um, fuzzily. By what I could see (…) he was totally bewildered by Sakura suddenly yelling at him. It'd probably never happened before. I almost laughed, but my head hurt too much.

Sakura started walking away slowly, trying to support me the best she could. Eriol ran over and helped her. We left the bar and it's customers totally confused. (Plus Ayumu, totally taken aback)

Eriol left when we got to the room. Sakura opened the door and walked me over to the bed, where I sat down. She reached around me to the back of my head, and felt around.

She gasped. "Li-kun, you're bleeding."

"Gee, I'm so surprised. After all, I only fell on a bar chair," I said sarcastically.

She sighed. "Can you be sincere for once in your life?" She opened a cabinet in the bathroom that held a bunch of first-aid equipment, and wrapped some bandages around my head.

After she finished, there was a pause.

"Uh-uh," I said. "I am _not _wearing bandages on my head."

She looked away. "Why not? You don't look stupid or anything…"

"Look in my eyes and say that," I told her.

She looked at my bandages and opened her mouth. But before she started saying anything, she burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, I get it, it looks stupid. Now can we please not laugh at me?"

"Sorry, sorry," she managed between giggles. "Demo, demo, you just look so…stupid!"

"What did I just say?" I flushed.

When she had finally calmed down, she got up and put some ice in a plastic bag, then came back and handed it to me. I put it to the back of my head.

It was silent for a minute.

"Uhm . . . thank you," I said quietly, breaking the silence.

Sakura looked at me, and I looked at her. Of course, the trance occurred again. Our faces got closer and closer, until our foreheads were touching. Her lips touched mine lightly, but before it turned from a peck to a real kiss, my grip loosened on the ice bag and it fell down my shirt, instantly sending me back to the real world.

"Yaaargh!" I yelped, jumping away from the cold. The ice fell out the back of my shirt, but I ended getting closer to Sakura while our lips were still, um, in contact. I blinked, the blood rising to my face almost as soon as it did to Sakura's. We kind of just froze there. Finally, we both ran out of breath and were forced to separate.

She touched her mouth lightly with her fingertips, her face red. "U-uhm…"

"What just…happened?" I asked, careful not to look at her.

"You attacked me."

"Eh?" I cried incredulously. "I-iie, you have it wrong, the ice bag fell down my shirt….!"

She giggled. "It's okay, I was kidding. I know what happened…" she trailed off, frowning.

"…Gomen…" I whispered after yet another period of silence.

She stood up weirdly. "Let's just go to sleep."

A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom in pajama shorts and a tank top. I had just taken my shirt and belt off. As she walked to her bed, I went past her to the sink where I threw the ice bag. I splashed cold water on my face before going back to my bed.

"That was…very wrong, Li-kun…"

"You think I don't know?"

"Let's just…forget this ever happened," she mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"…Right."

**_Ayumu's Point of View_**

I sat on my bed, holding my head in my hands. "Argh, I hate that little brat! How is it that Li isn't expelled and Sakura-chan isn't fired because of what happened? Not that it was Sakura's fault; he admitted he made the move on her! This is all his fault! Our lives were perfect before he showed up!"

_'Yes…anger, hatred, and jealousy…oh, how they brighten my day…'_

I shot upright. "Who's there?"

'_Fufufu…I am the demon inside of you.'_

I stood up cautiously and looked around the room. My hand inched towards one of the books Terada had on the desk.

'_Foolish child, I won't hurt you. There's no need to take up arms; plus, you couldn't hurt me if you tried.'_

"Who…no, what are you?" I asked, my voice trembling.

_'Do you know who your parents are?'_

I hesitated before I answered. This was something I had told no one before. Not even Sakura. "…No. I got amnesia after a car hit me. What are you?" I repeated.

'_Your father left after you were born. He waited until you were born to leave, but he never wanted you. That's precisely why he left; and he didn't care about your mother, either. You were the very definition of demon child--correction, you _are._'_

"What nonsense do you speak of?" I fumed. "How dare you talk about my family as such!"

_'Have you ever noticed that you speak in a very old-fashioned tongue?'_

"Eh…?" I blushed and touched my mouth. "Well…th-that's just the way I was raised!"

'_Have you ever told Kinomoto Sakura that you were hit by a car and have no memories of your past?'_

"Iie! She doesn't…need to know."

_'But if you told her now…she would come crying back to you and leave that pathetic Li Syaoran on the side of the road.'_

"That would be cheating. Now, please tell me why you're asking so many questions!"

'_Hmph. Think you're so smart…anyway, _I _know why you speak in such an early twentieth-century way. You were right--that _is _how you were raised. In the early twentieth-century, that is. 1906, to be exact. June 6__th__.'_

"But…how is that possible…I mean, the hospital told me I was twenty-two…" I asked.

'_I mean that you were born on the date of the devil. The same day the prophecy was made. The prophecy including Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran.'_

"A p-prophecy…?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he hadn't answered my question.

'_The prophecy that tells of Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura falling in love and defeating the evil that threatens the world--_you.'

"They…fall in love and…destroy me…together?" I choked.

I could almost feel the cold demon inside me smiling. _'That is correct, child. You and I, we are one--I am the devil, Satan, and you are my child…together we will destroy the prophesized and you may have your revenge on Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran for cheating you.'_

"But…Sakura-chan never did anything wrong…" I mumbled.

'_Hoohoohoo…my boy, you will be angered to no end by these two pathetic angels…but now, you are under the influence of alcohol, and will not be able to think straight until morning. So rest now, my child, and let the evils your love and Li Syaoran have committed consume you…'_

**_Yue's Point of View_**

"Did you but the train tickets, Cerberus?" I asked as I kicked the bathroom door shut behind me. I had just come out of the shower.

"Eh? Ah, hai, but some…" Cerberus looked up from his manga as I grabbed a robe from the hook. "Agh! Can you try putting your robe on _before _you come out of the bathroom?"

I chuckled. "Cerberus, your face is all red…"

He covered his mouth with his hand and frowned at me from the couch. "Sh-shut up!"

I chuckled again. He amused me so with his childishness. "Continue what you were saying."

He coughed. "Oh, uh, right. Well, some people saw me and took some pictures, so it kind of came out as a rumour that we were going to Kyoto…and I think they even know what hotel we're going to! It's really creepy!" He tried to change the subject, but I glared at him, making him stop talking.

"I'll never send you out on an errand again," I growled. "I'm starting to think you _tell _people where we're going."

"Ahaha…"

"When are the tickets dated for?" I asked, shooting one last dagger before turning back to the mirror, where I was brushing my long, silver hair out.

"Tomorrow at six. It's gonna be so fun hanging out with Sakura-chan and Kaho-chan for the next two weeks," he mused.

I smiled. "It will, won't it? Coffee?"

"Hai!"

I picked up the pot and started pouring.

Suddenly, my eyes shot wide open and my pupils dilated. Everything went black.

When I came to, Cerberus was staring at me wide-eyed. I had dropped the coffee pot and fallen to the ground, and the white cashmere robe was now stained brown from the drink.

"Uh, you know they're gonna make you pay for that…"

"Cerberus! Forget tomorrow at six! Go back and get tickets for the earliest train possible!" I demanded.

"Demo, you just said you weren't--"

"Shut up! Just go get them!" I hissed. "The prophecy is about to come true! Sakura-chan, Li-kun and the whole friggin' _world _are in danger! Now go get the damn tickets!"

He looked at me incredulously. "The prophecy…? Already…? Is it…?"

I nodded solemnly. "We were correct. Ayumu is Satan's host."

"Aw, crap."

"The tickets, Cerberus!" I urged.

"But wouldn't it be easier to fly…?" he asked innocently.

"No! The paparazzi would be around every corner, and it would be even _harder _to use magic!" I told him fiercely. "The tickets, Cerberus! Hayaku!"

"H-hai!" He dashed to the door. "But what are you going to do?"

"I must take another shower. My ass is covered in coffee."

* * *

**GASP! Ayumu is the demon child! XD I really hope you liked it! PLEASE REVIEEWWW!**

**Again, if you don't like the magic, it will all be over soon, and the story will take on another short arc with no magic! **


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter 11_**

**Yo! Haha, I just noticed I wrote that I was 'officially a beta-reader in both chapters 9 and 10. X3 I'm so dumb. Anyways. I think this is a pretty long chapter...I wanted to fit a lot in...the whole magic thing will probably be over in like the next two chapters. Then, the REAL JUICY stuff starts.... :3 But I won't tell you what happens. Ohh, no. No spoilers or previews for you guys. :D Neheh. I'm so retarded. Please enjoy this chapter! **

**Oh, and I forgot to say this last chapter, buuuttt...we're in double digits now! :D I'm only at chapter 11, and I already have almost 100 reviews! YAAAYYY! Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading and reviewing...sniff, sniff...I'm so happy...please keep up the good work! XD Guardians of Tomoeda got to 100 on like it's 20th chapter! XD I think lotsa people dropped off it. Oh well. ^^" That just makes me feel all the more proud of The New Teacher. ^^ Thank you again!**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I didn't get any sleep that night. It was too weird. _Way _too weird. And uncomfortable. I made myself stay on my side the whole night, not daring to even glance around the room to Syaoran. I was afraid I'd find myself staring at him.

"Ohayo, Bed-head," Syaoran smirked after yawning loudly.

"Urusai," I muttered, pulling the covers over my head. I heard him washing up in the bathroom. _Ugh. I hate this. _

Then Ayumu came to mind. I wondered what _he _would have to say to me. He was really mad when we left. Especially since Eriol and I were carrying my retarded student out of the place with a bleeding head. I snorted at the thought, remembering how stupid he looked with a bandage wrapped around his head.

"I know what you're snorting at, you pig," Syaoran called out over the running water from the tap. "And you'd better stop before I rub tooth-paste in your hair. Not that it would make much of a difference," he laughed.

I glared at him. "You'd better hope Ayumu-kun doesn't hate me, you brat! After what you did--I can't even say it! It was too horrifying!"

He paused for a second, then continued on and didn't say anything.

I brushed out my hair and put on a pink t-shirt and dark washed jeans, with a pink bracelet on my wrist.

Syaoran threw on a black t-shirt and ripped jeans before flopping back on the bed and turning on the TV. "Make me a cup of coffee."

"Excuse me?" I hissed.

"Ano…I said make me a cup of coffee," he repeated, a smile tugging at his lips.

I giggled a little, and threw a pillow at him.

"Fine." I stuck my tongue out at him. "But only 'cause I want one, too."

I turned on the coffee pot and poured in the instant powder. Syaoran was flipping through channels at a rate of 3 seconds.

"Gah! Stop! I'm gonna have a seizure, you delinquent!" I hissed.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he chuckled. "Hey, this'll be fun! Top ten news reports of the year."

"It's already on the third one, it'll be over soon," I said as the coffee beeped. I stood up and poured it into two cups.

"Who cares? At least we'll be able to see the top one."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you take in your coffee?"

"Black," he answered.

I poured milk and sugar into my own, and smiled. _I'm surprised that it isn't completely awkward…but I'm happy. _

I handed Syaoran's coffee to him, and he started drinking it right away.

"It's still hot, you idiot," I muttered.

There was a knock on the door as the second best news report was coming to a close. I didn't want to miss the top one, either, so I hoped whoever it was would make it quick.

"Hello?" I called as I turned the knob. I gasped. "Ayumu-kun!"

He had a strange look on his face. "Ayumu-kun…?"

"Um," he said, his voice full of uncertainty. "G-gomen nasai, Sakura-chan!" He bowed deeply to me. I gasped and blushed.

"A-Ayumu-kun, please," I said quietly. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

He smiled half-heartedly, then studied me. "You've cleaned yourself up already? Usually you're still a complete bed-head at this time in the morning!" he chuckled.

Syaoran spat his coffee out, all over the TV. I turned around. "Li-kun…?"

He was frowning as he grabbed a towel and wiped off the TV. "…Gomen…"

I sighed and turned back to my guest as Syaoran muttered something about Ayumu a lot.

Ayumu still had that strange look on his face. "Ayumu-kun, is something wrong?"

Ayumu's eyebrows knit together and he almost looked he was going cry. I felt a strange energy in the air around him. _What the…_

"Hey, Sak-ah, Sensei! The number one news story is on now!" Syaoran announced while pointing at the (now damp) TV screen excitedly.

"Sheesh, it's just a news report…" I mumbled, taking a sip of coffee.

"_The number one news report of the year in Japan is…the dramatic love of student and teacher!" _

It was my turn to spit out my coffee…all over Ayumu's white shirt. He patted my back as I coughed.

"T-turn the channel, Li-kun!" I urged, glaring at Syaoran as he stared in shock at the screen, his face red.

"Durhh…" he replied stupidly.

"Iie, don't change it," Ayumu said coldly. "I think this will be interesting."

His tone of voice was like an icicle through my heart. Syaoran was looking the other way.

We all sat in silence until the program ended.

Ayumu got to his feet abruptly and walked over to the door. "Ja ne," he spat simply before slamming the door.

I listened to his footsteps trudge away in the hallway, and then threw the Bible that was on the night table at the television, switching it off.

"Why?" I cried as quietly as I could.

Syaoran looked at me over his shoulder, his face still red. Then he looked away again when my cell phone rang. I ripped it out of my bag and flipped it open aggressively. "WHAT?" I roared.

Tomoyo whimpered on the other end of the phone.

I sighed. "Gomen, Tomoyo-chan. What is it?"

"I wanted to eat breakfast with you in the restaurant."

"Oh…come to think of it, I guess I am kinda hungry…"

"Great!" Tomoyo squealed. "Meet me down there in ten!" _Click. _

My anger fizzled out, and I tossed the phone gently back into my bag.

"I'm going to eat breakfast with Tomoyo-chan," I told Syaoran quietly. He didn't say anything.

I got strange looks from most people I passed by. I heard little bits of their hushed conversations.

"…remember the news story…"

"…forgotten about it, but now…"

"…it's awesome, it's so romantic…"

Some people looked like they had just watched some drama on TV, and sighed happily when I walked by them. You know, the 'ohh-how-I-wish-I-had-a-love-like-theirs' sigh. Others looked like they were resisting the urge to spit on my shoes. Then there were the students who just smiled and waved regularly.

"I wonder if Kaho-chan is going to kill me quickly or roast me slowly," I sighed, shaking my head.

Tomoyo giggled. "Who knows? Maybe she'll be okay with it."

"Yeah, right," I muttered. I heard the _clack-clack _of her stilettos behind me. _Speak of the devil. _I braced myself for a severe yelling at. "Um…gomen nasai, Kaho-chan…what happened was, well…oh, just hit me!"

Instead of hitting me, she smiled at me full-force, like it was the best thing in the world that could possibly have happened. I blinked, and as she passed by Tomoyo, their hands went over their heads in sync and they high-fived one another with satisfied looks on their faces.

"There's absolutely no need to hit you, Sakura-chan," Kaho said. She clacked away happily.

I blinked and looked at Tomoyo. "And what was that all about?" (A/N: If you're confused, it's cause of the prophecy.)

She giggled in response, and we continued walking.

We reached the restaurant and were directed to a little table that looked rather expensive. I set my bag down and knelt down, Tomoyo doing the same. I ordered a western omelet and a bowl of rice; Tomoyo ordered miso soup and aji.

Just as we were receiving our orders, Tomoyo started waving madly at someone behind me. I looked around almost choked on the very oxygen surrounding me. Eriol was waving back at Tomoyo and walking forwards, pulling none other than Syaoran with him. Syaoran was distracted by the chef making food behind the counter and didn't notice where he was headed.

"Ohayo, Tomoyo-san, Sakura-sensei," Eriol greeted with his usual smile.

"Ohayo, Eriol-kun, Syaoran-kun," Tomoyo replied, matching Eriol's smile. They were creepy. Geh.

Syaoran finally noticed us and muttered, "Ohayo…"

Eriol ordered for the both of them.

I avoided saying anything to Syaoran. "Eriol-kun, don't call me Sakura-sensei. It sounds weird."

"Aww, why not? We're friends, right? So that makes it okay," he told me, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

Eriol and Tomoyo exchanged glances before he put his arm around Syaoran, making him choke on his rice.

"Argh, dude, what are you doing?" he coughed.

He ignored Syaoran's protests. "Ehh, but Syaoran-kun calls you Sakura."

Syaoran's cheeks turned a tone pinker, but I just started eating faster.

Tomoyo blinked at me, and Eriol's glasses slid a little down his nose as they watched me. In response, Syaoran started eating faster, too.

"Umm…are you guys retarded or something?" Eriol asked, slowly removing his arm from Syaoran's shoulders. We glared up at each other from our rice bowls.

Tomoyo held up her hands and mumbled, "You guys, this is a fancy hotel, you can't act like this!" Her eyes flicked from side to side.

She touched my shoulder and I immediately choked on the half a pound of rice I was trying to shove down my throat.

"Oh my gosh!" Tomoyo gasped, and patted my back as I coughed.

Syaoran leapt back from the table, pointing at it. "Eww! You _spat _on it, you cow!"

When I finished coughing, I slammed my hands on the table. "Did you call me a cow?"

"HAI! I DID!" Syaoran called back, slamming his own hands on eating surface.

We growled at each other; Tomoyo sighed and called for the cheque. Eriol insisted on paying, and we quickly shuffled out of the restaurant.

**_Ayumu's Point of View_**

I slammed my room door behind me and slid down the back of it, onto the tatami mats that covered the floors. I grasped my head with my hands like a crazy person.

"You…you were right…they…they are in love…" I muttered to the demon inside of me.

'_Kekeke…that's right…and soon, they will destroy you together…unless you destroy them first…'_

"…Destroy them first?" I asked hesitantly.

'_That's right…they've humiliated you publicly, and so this is your chance to get back at them before they kill you anyway…it's your destiny, my child…'_

I'd spent the entire night before thinking about Sakura. The good and bad things, and decided I would apologize to her. Well, you know what happens after that…

_'Let the darkness rule, Ayumu…accept it…'_

All the thoughts of Sakura and the kid together flew through my mind. The blood pounded in my ears, and I started to feel hot. I took my shirt off and threw it on the bed. My vision started going red, and I looked in the mirror. My eyes were clouding with redness, and my teeth were growing sharper and longer, like fangs.

"What's…happening…to me…?" I stammered.

'_Look outside, Ayumu.'_ I did as he said, and pushed away the curtains. Two men were running up to the entrance of the hotel. One had golden hair falling out of a cap it was tucked into. The other had waist-length silver hair tied into a ponytail over his shoulder. His brows were knit in frustration. Both were wearing large sunglasses.

_'They are in alliance with the prophesized. Destroy them, too,'_ the demon demanded.

But I didn't resist. My new red eyes glared down at the two men entering the hotel, full of hatred.

I was going to destroy them all.

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I lay face down on my bed, moaning in pain. I had given myself a stomachache from eating way too much rice way too fast. Mid-moan, the door flung open with a loud bang and my moan changed to a scream of sorts as I rolled off the bed in surprise. It kind of sounded like, "NnnnnnAHHHHOwwww!"

I pulled myself back up onto the bed and looked at the door. "You're retarded, Sakura," I groaned. Then I blinked. It wasn't Sakura at the door. It was Yue and Keroberos. "What are you guys doing here, all panty-pant?"

They were panting heavily, and sweat glistened on their foreheads.

"Where…is Sakura-chan…Syaoran-kun…" Yue huffed.

I twitched in annoyance. Where did these jerks get off calling me by my first name?

I stood up and pulled a cigarette coolly out of my pocket. I glared at them as I lit it. "What do you need with her?" I asked, smoke rolling out of my mouth. Maybe it was just a little too late for the bad-boy thing now, after screaming and rolling off the bed 'cause I had a stomachache. I had my guard down then. But I still tried.

Yue frowned and held up his hand. I heard a weird noise, and the cigarette exploded. But it was only a little explosion, and only singed the hair on my hand.

I stared at my hand, then at Yue incredulously. Finally, I managed to say, "What the fu-"

"There's no time for that!" he exclaimed. "We must find Sakura-chan quickly! Everyone here is in danger!"

"Huh?"

"Yue!" It was Keroberos this time. "He's almost completely transformed! Hayaku!"

Yue grunted and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out the door at an almost inhuman speed.

"Where do you think Sakura-chan is right now, Syaoran-kun?"

"Uhh…I-I don't know! I have no idea where she went after we left the breakfast place!" I told him, trying my best to believe I was running along the ground too, _not_ skimming it with the top of my feet.

"What's happening?" I cried out.

"I'll explain when we find Sakura-chan!"

"Wait!" Keroberos said. "You said you had breakfast, right?" I nodded. "That means Sakura-chan is doing what she always does--a walk!"

Oh. I was expecting something more…scandalous. Ha ha…ahem.

"Oh, crap," Keroberos mumbled.

"What?"

He looked at me, amused but serious. "Fan-girls."

**_Eriol's Point of View_**

Tomoyo and I leaned against the doors of the hotel. Sakura had just gone on her walk, which was apparently a ritual for her after she finished eating breakfast.

"Something doesn't feel right…" I muttered, touching my head.

Tomoyo looked at me, concerned. "What's wrong, Eriol-kun?"

I smiled at her. "Are you worrying about me?"

She blushed. "Yes. You look like there's something wrong, and I want to know what it is."

"Well, perhaps this isn't the time for jokes…" I sighed. "But I think the prophecy is about to come true…"

Tomoyo gasped.

Suddenly, Yue and Keroberos appeared from behind a corner, and I heard the faint screaming of girls behind them. They were dragging Syaoran with them.

"Oh yeah. The prophecy is about to come true, all right," I corrected myself.

Tomoyo opened the door and called out in an ear-piercing voice. Sakura came running back to her almost as soon as the sound was made.

"What? What's going on?" she gasped as she approached the door.

"Wh-what was that, like a Sakura-sensei call or something?" I asked.

Tomoyo smiled and nodded. "Basically."

"KAHO-CHAAANNNN!" Keroberos shrieked.

Kaho appeared before us, her face dead serious. Luckily, no one else was around. (I guessed the fan-girls were locked behind a magic barrier or something.)

"It's time," she said gravely.

* * *

**DUNDUNDUHHHH! :D I hope you liked this chapter! I worked hard. It took five pages and a bit on Word. I wanted to fit everything into this chapter, and I also wanted to give you a relatively long chapter because I might not update this one for a while. I want to finish off Guardians of Tomoeda since there's only a couple chapters left of it. But don't worry! It won't be TOO long! ...I hope. Heh. Heh. Uhh...**

**So, yeah! :D Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12_**

**Well then. I guess it wasn't as long of a wait as I thought! ^v^ I finished Guardians of Tomoeda, and have clear plans on making another CCS fic probably like...tomorrow. :3 Actually, more like three, heheh...but I want to finish other fics too before I start those. ^^ So the one I'll be making soon will be third person...no magic...and it involves Syaoran, Sakura, murder, and kidnap. ^_^ Try and guess how those all go together! And Ayumu will be there too, but with a totally different personality...heheheh.... **

**Oh yeah! And the lucky one hundredth reviewer iiisss......Yingfa07! YAAAYYY! You get...nothing! :D LOL! Sorry. **

**Anyways! On with chapter 12!**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I stared at the ground, trying to process what Mizuki-sensei had just told me. _I'm supposed to be a 'child of the prophecy', and destroy Satan, who is inhabiting Ayumu's body, and I'm supposed to fall in love with Sakura. _

…_Henh?_

I coughed. "Uhm…so…am I, like…a magician?" I asked weakly, not sure what to make of it.

Mizuki-sensei's face was dead serious. "I'm not going to explain it again, Syaoran-kun," she said. "Clow Reed, your ancestor, was a powerful sorcerer. His magic has followed through your bloodline. It protects you. And now you have to use it to fulfill the prophecy."

So that's why I was always protected in my fights, and my wounds never got so serious…

"So…what about the part where Li-kun and I…" she trailed off, blushing.

"Eh, that's already been done," Eriol said, grinning. Tomoyo smacked him on the back of the head.

"How are we supposed to use our magic?" I asked, changing the subject desperately.

"Just do and say whatever comes to you," Yue told me.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked abruptly, pointing at Kero.

"Can I…pleeease change back…now…?" Kero spat. He looked like he was going through a lot of pain.

Yue sighed and nodded. Two wings enveloped Kero, and when they separated, he was a little teddy bear…thing.

I blinked and stared, but Mizuki-sensei snapped me back to reality.

"Look, it doesn't matter whether you fully understand it or not, okay? I'll explain it better later when Japan _isn't _about to be demolished by Satan," she urged, shooing us outside. "I'll call him for you."

"Eh?" Sakura gasped. "You mean we actually have to kill Ayumu-kun?"

"Not so much Ayumu-san as you have to kill the demon that resides inside him."

Sakura blinked, confused, as Mizuki-sensei handed her a pack of cards. She started explaining that they were the Clow Cards, blah blah blah, but my attention was drawn to a window. I don't know what floor it was on, but it was glowing red, and the glass was getting scraped.

"I don't exactly know all the details myself right now," Mizuki-sensei was saying impatiently. "Whatever you have to do, _kill the demon._"

"H…hai…" Sakura mumbled uncertainly. The principal turned to me and handed me a sword and a bunch of sutras.

"These will help carve Satan out of Ayumu-san's body," she explained.

"Uh, cool," I replied, still watching the window.

"Now…how can I call him…" Mizuki-sensei grumbled.

"No need," I said. Everyone looked at me quizzically, and I pointed up at the window. As everyone was looking up to see what I was talking about, the glass shattered and someone jumped out. Tomoyo gasped and Eriol pushed her gently behind him. I side-glanced at Sakura, but shook my head.

He landed; my first thought was a werewolf, but as he approached, I realized it was Ayumu. His ears were pointed, he had long fangs jutting from his mouth, he had grown claws and his clothes were ripped. But what freaked me out the most was that his eyes were pure, blood red. He was glaring at us and I could hear him growl as he walked unsteadily toward us. Maybe it _was_ a werewolf. His mouth opened, and it looked like he dislocated his jaw when he did. An ultra creepy laugh came out.

"Uhh…is this…a lesson on drugs?" I asked, swallowing hard.

Nobody said anything. _So I guess this is real…_

His eyes locked on Sakura. She gasped in fear, and he did some funky thing with his arms before charging at her. He was certainly running at werewolf speed…even though he was Satan…or something.

Sakura froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "A…yumu…kun…?"

I swore under my breath. She was still thinking it was that wuss, even though he looked totally different. Just uglier than usual.

I looked at my hands, then held them up, imitating Yue when he blew up my cigarette. I glanced at him, and he nodded.

"Die!" I shouted. Some kind of red force came out of my hands, and I stumbled backward and fell. It was like shooting some really powerful gun. I looked up as soon as I could, and I caught enough to see Ayumu get thrown into the side of the hotel, sending a huge crack up the wall. I gaped, amazed at my own power. _That's so cool! _I grinned and stood up, ready to fight Ayumu/Satan.

He jumped up, snarling, but before I could attack again, he jumped off towards the city.

Sakura got to her feet. "M…matte!" she yelled, and chased after him.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried, attempting to run forward. Eriol put his hand out and stopped her.

"This is for Syaoran and Sakura-sensei," he said, nodding at me. I clenched my teeth and nodded back at him before following Sakura and Ayumu.

When I caught up to them, he was ripping trees out of the ground and throwing them randomly.

"Ayumu-kun! Please, stop! Ayumu-kun! It's me, Sakura!" she was calling out.

I ran over to her and blasted a tree that was about to crush her. "It's no use," I told her. "That isn't Ayumu."

"Sakura betrayed me…she betrayed me by falling in love…falling in love with Syaoran!" he yelled in a raspy voice. The voice was a mix of Ayumu's voice, a high pitched voice and a deep voice.

"No!" Sakura protested. "I'm not in love with Li-kun! I love _you, _Ayumu-kun!"

That hurt. A lot. She didn't even hesitate shouting it out to the world. And she still just used 'Li' instead of 'Syaoran'.

Then my eyes widened. _Why does that hurt me? _I asked myself. _It's not like I'm in love with Sakura or anything. _Sakura was picking up a kitten, tears in her eyes.

"Uh, Sakura, this isn't the time to be playing with kitties…" I grumbled to her, but she ignored me.

She smiled and stroked the cat. "Ayumu-kun…you love cats. Remember how long it took you to get over it when the stray cat you always fed died? It was beautiful, and you loved it so much…" She held up the cat, and it meowed. "Doesn't this one kind of remind you of that one?"

Ayumu staggered over, growling, and I knew something bad was gonna happen.

Boy, was I right.

He took the cat, and Sakura smiled hopefully. That is, until he ripped the cat's head off. I gasped as the blood splattered both Ayumu and Sakura.

Sakura screamed and ran straight into my arms, tears rushing down her face. She looked so delicate at that moment, and I stroked her hair. _I can't be in love with Sakura…_

"That isn't Ayumu," I murmured to her. Her grip on my shirt tightened. "Satan has taken over Ayumu's body. It's not actually Ayumu." I hoped that would reassure her. They weren't exactly soothing words, when I thought about it. _'Oh yeah, the guy that ripped open that kitten wasn't actually Ayumu, because the devil himself took that guy over. He's nowhere to be found in that kitten murderer! It'll all be okay!' _I groaned inwardly when I thought of it like that. I decided to add to what I said. "Together, we can rescue the world…and Ayumu," I told her.

I could feel Sakura relax in my arms. I smiled and patted her head.

"Thank you…Syaoran-kun…" she whispered.

I was gonna say something about it, but Ayumu was angered after seeing Sakura so comfortable in my arms. He screamed and a ring of fire erupted around him.

Sakura sifted through her deck of cards with one hand, while her other hand held my arm. My heart thudded loudly. I coughed to try and cover it up. _I can't be in love with Sakura…_ I told myself again.

She pulled out the card Watery and yelled its name. A weird chick made of water came out of it and attacked the fire surrounding the demon. The fire went out, leaving sizzling chunks of tree and grass around his feet. I took this chance to launch myself at him with the sword.

"Graah!" I yelled, swinging down. He easily batted me out of the way, and I went skidding across the ground.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura called out to me. I held up my hand in a peace sign, and I could hear her sigh.

Ayumu laughed in a thick, deep voice. "I will destroy Japan, and America, and the world! No one can stop me!" It was only Satan that spoke now. There was no trace of Ayumu's voice anymore. "This human fool believed everything I told him! Most of it was true though, like the part of him being born in the early twentieth century and such…but the part that wasn't was the part where the two of us would rule the world! But no! I alone am going to _destroy _the world!" He looked at Sakura. "Say, girl. Did you know that Ayumu was born on the date of the devil?"

"Na…ni…?" Sakura squeaked.

He grinned. "06, 06, 06. The date of the devil. The date of _me."_

"So that means…" I counted. "June 6th…wait, that doesn't make sense."

"June 6th, 1906," he said. "Ayumu is not human. His father was a demon. When he was born, at 06 hours, 06 minutes, and 06 seconds on 06/06/06, I was reborn with him. And at that same moment, the prophecy was made. And so, Ayumu kept his young age and searched for the two that were destined to kill him, in order to kill them first. However, three years ago, he was hit by a car and got amnesia. The hospital told him he was 22, but he was actually 100! And then he met you--" he pointed at Sakura, grinning evilly. "--and fell in love. I let him, knowing that you were the prophesized. He would be close to you at all times."

"But, he was 19 when we met! The same age as me!" Sakura protested, shaking her head.

"He only told you he was 19 because he wanted to be the same age as you. But he was thoroughly confused a year later and the year after that when the hospital kept telling him he was 22…three years in a row. And after he showed up," he said, looking over at me. "I knew it was time." He threw back his head and laughed. "And the fool let me take over his body! Wahaha! And that is his story. Too bad he's DEAD!"

"NO!" Sakura cried. "He's not dead! He's NOT!"

I growled. "That's right! He's probably just laying dormant inside of you!"

He ignored us and kept laughing, louder and louder each time. I could feel his power growing with every 'bwa', 'ha', 'wa', and 'mwa' he yelled out. It tingled in the air.

Sakura pulled the Arrow card, and sent a shower of arrows flying at Satan. They all hit him, and he was confused for a minute. Sakura eyed me briefly, and I understood that she was distracting him. I leapt up immediately and smacked one of the sutras on his face. He grunted in surprise and swayed backwards a little. I landed right behind him and stabbed him through the back. Sakura let out a little shriek when she saw it burst right through his stomach. It didn't faze me, though. I've done worse. And for the first time, it was for a good cause. Stabbing him would carve Satan out. Usually I stabbed people 'cause they were stupid or I didn't like them. Or they didn't like me. Or I was in a bad mood. But now, I wouldn't have the cops on my tail 'cause if I didn't, the world would be destroyed.

But, anyways, Satan choked out a whole lot of blood. I almost grinned. I hadn't had this thrill in a while.

"Curse…you…human…!" he spat out weakly, blood trickling down his chin.

"Yeah, yeah. Curse you, too, buddy," I said, ripping the sword out of him. A black ball of mist came out of Ayumu's mouth and dissolved. All of the creepy extras that made him look like a demon disappeared, and he was back to normal. He was about to fall on his face, but Sakura dashed forward and caught him. He woke up, the wound in his stomach healing already. He hugged Sakura as soon as he saw her, whispering, "Gomen nasai," over and over again. Sakura was bawling her eyes out, crying, "I forgive you!" a whole bunch of times. Ayumu started crying, too.

I looked away, thinking _real men don't cry. _I looked back at the two quickly, and my heart thudded again. _Rrgh! Stupid heart! I can't love Sakura! I'm not in love with Sakura… _I looked back again.

…_Right?_

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I sobbed and sobbed, hugging Ayumu tighter each time. His tears were wetting my shirt, too. I saw Eriol, Kaho, Yue, and Kero rush by and use their magic to fix things up, and after a while, it looked like nothing had happened.

Ayumu passed out on my shoulder, and before I knew it, Syaoran was there. I watched him carefully, teary eyed, as he picked Ayumu up and carried him on his back. I had called him 'Syaoran-kun' during the fight, and I wasn't going to hear the end of it. But I was just about to crack on the whole 'act-like-a-teacher' thing anyway. I was doing a bad job.

I did my best to not think about the part in the prophecy where Syaoran and I fall in love. I just watched him carry Ayumu, and no one said anything.

As if to fit the occasion, it started raining. I was soaked within seconds.

When we got to the eighth floor of the hotel, we all went to our rooms except for Syaoran and I; we went to Ayumu's room to drop him off.

Yoshiyuki was there, and stunned.

"Wh…what happened?" he asked. Syaoran glared at him, and he didn't ask anything else.

As Syaoran approached the foot of Ayumu's bed, Ayumu whispered, "I love you…Sakura…"

Syaoran's fists clenched tightly, and he whipped Ayumu onto the bed angrily. "Argh!"

"Eeek!" I yelped. Ayumu coughed out blood as he landed with a bounce on his bed. Syaoran stormed over to the door, leaving a trail of wet footprints. "Ch-chotto!" I told him.

He glared back at me, water dripping from his bangs. Then he looked away. "Tch." He slammed the door behind him.

I turned back to Ayumu sadly, and started crying again. But it wasn't because of Ayumu.

* * *

**Oh. Another fight between Syaoran and Sakura. :( But next chapter will be an UBER SHOCKER! :D And cliffhanger! Be warned! MWAHAHA! Please review and thanks for reading! ^^**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter 13_**

**Yay! A quick update. Cuz I have no life. ~_~ Heheh. Maybe it isn't an UBER shocker, but there is a cliff hanger. ^^ Oh, and that story I was talking about? Posted it yesterday. I have lots of time. *sigh* It's called Amber and Emerald: Killer and Prey. Please read it! And review it! **

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I trudged down the hallway, my wet shoes squeaking with every step. "I bet he wasn't even asleep," I grumbled. "He's just faking so Sakura will pity him."

I recalled the event from a few moments ago. Ayumu had moaned that he loved Sakura, and for some reason, I got pissed and whipped him at the bed. Perfect. Now Sakura would crawl into it with him.

"I can't believe she still cares about him!" I was talking to myself again. "Maybe it was Satan that ripped the cat's head off, but it was Ayumu that decided Sakura and I were in love, and turned his love to jealousy and hate. Doesn't Sakura know that?"

When I finally reached the other end of the hallway, I swiped the key card angrily across the…swiper. I almost broke it. I opened the door, kicked my shoes off and sighed.

"Hey, Daisuke," I said, taking my wet clothes off and putting on dry ones.

"Hi, Syaoran-chan," he replied. "What's wrong with you? You look totally bummed out."

"I am," I sighed, flopping down on my bed.

Daisuke jumped over to my bed. "Why, what happened? Tell Daisuke!"

"Well…argh! I don't even know, but I think I might be in love with Sakura!" I suddenly burst out, covering my hot face with my hands.

"Whoa. That's intense. Demo, doesn't she like some other guy?" he asked, inching closer to me.

I sighed yet again. "Hai…and even though he tried to destroy the world, she still loves him! And it pisses me off so much!"

"Aww, it'll be okay, Syaoran-chan," he said soothingly.

"I hope so," I muttered.

………………………….

My eyes flew open. "What the hell! What the hell are you doing here?" I yelled, pointing at him.

Daisuke smiled innocently and snaked his arms around me affectionately. "Oh, Syao-chan, you don't have to be so cold."

I blushed. _Kuso! Why does he always have this effect on me? _

"Doesn't this remind you of our time back in Hong Kong?" he asked quietly.

I blinked, and didn't say anything about it. Daisuke was my half-brother, the same father but a different mother. We both hated our dad. My mom was Chinese, but Daisuke's mom was Japanese. She died shortly after giving birth to him, so my own mother raised us both, plus my four, er, eccentric sisters. We were raised to compete against each other for the Li fortune, and eventually I couldn't handle it any longer and came to Japan. Daisuke followed shortly after. We both became delinquents, drunk on freedom.

The way we were raised was really harsh. We'd always meet in one another's room and cry together and comfort the other at night.

Of course, neither of us told this to anyone in Japan. No one knew I was rich, or the famous, missing son of the Li heir.

I looked down at Daisuke; he looked so sad. I hesitated, but wrapped my own arms around him.

"Yes," I whispered. "This does remind me of our time in Hong Kong."

A tear rolled down his cheek, and created a wet spot on my shirt. Our father had beaten us both pretty badly, but when Daisuke asked to play with me and skip training for a day, he was whipped for hours on end. It had scarred him physically and emotionally.

I got mad at Daisuke a lot. He had almost gone back to our father a couple of times, and that's what triggered me to get so mad at him at our fight in the gym.

"He called me," Daisuke murmured. I knew he was talking about our dad. "He asked me to come back in that sugar sweet tone, and I said no right away, for the first time. He got really mad, and…" He gripped my shirt tightly. "And…okaasan…o-okaasan…!"

My eyes widened. "What?" I growled. What had he done to my mother?

"Syaoran…"

"It's okay, man," I told him soothingly. "I love you, man. Dad doesn't give that much of a crap about us that he'd come here to get us."

Someone coughed at the door. I looked up with a glare, but blinked when I saw who was there.

"Eriol…Daidouji-san…" I said. Daidouji was blushing madly and staring at the ground, and Eriol was a little pink as well.

"Are we…uhm, interrupting something?" Eriol asked slowly.

"G-g-g-g-g-gomen nasai!" Daidouji shouted, bowing a hundred times.

I cocked an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Eriol coughed again, and I realized I was still holding Daisuke.

"Ah…" I blushed and looked down at him. Nobody knew he was my brother. "D-Daisuke." I ruffled his green hair. "Daisuke, man, c'mon!"

He flopped down; he was asleep. I smiled at him bitter sweetly. He didn't deserve what he got.

I held a finger to my lips and herded my two guests out into the hallway. "So…what do you guys want?"

"Harsh," Eriol muttered. "Coming from the guy that was just hugging--"

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," I snapped.

Eriol's eyes widened. "G…gomen, Syaoran-kun…"

"We just wanted to see how you were doing after what happened," Daidouji put in.

"Oh…ah, I'm fine," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "Are you guys okay?"

Eriol nodded, and Daidouji smiled.

Eriol looked at me nervously. "Really, Syaoran-kun…gomen ne. But why was he in your room, uh…" He coughed again, his ears red.

I smiled at him. "It was nothing. Childhood…friends is all. And it's all right."

"Oh…okay." Eriol smiled back at me.

"Childhood friends?" Daidouji murmured. Her eyes were piercing and I had the feeling she saw right through me. "Since when do _childhood friends_ get so close, especially when you're the worst kid in town?"

"We grew up in the same house," I told her, bending the truth a little. "We're sort of like brothers now."

"…Hai." She said that, but she was still giving me that creepy look. She knew I was lying. She grabbed Eriol's arm. "Well, that was all. Sakura-chan's still at Ayumu-san's, right?"

My eyes narrowed. I nodded slowly.

"You should get some sleep, Syaoran-kun," Eriol told me. I smirked. He was acting all cool about Daidouji holding onto his arm, but I knew he was all flustered and happy on the inside.

"Right," I said. "I'll do that."

Daidouji waved and they started down the hall. I closed the door.

"…So," I said to myself. "I'll have to watch myself around her."

I walked over to my bag, and pulled out a binder. I opened it, and flipped through the many pages of headlines like _'LI HEIRS MISSING', 'SOURCES REPORT LI HEIRS TO BE IN JAPAN', 'SIX YEARS LATER, LI HEIRS STILL UNSEEN'. _

I sighed and put my scrapbook away. I had cut out anything and everything I could find about the Li family and us. I looked at my cell phone. I had one missed call from yesterday; it was dad. I frowned and deleted it. I never even bothered answering when he called, but Daisuke always did.

And now I find out I'm the 'child of the prophecy'? And what about Sakura? Why is my life so confusing?

I looked at Daisuke, still sleeping peacefully on my bed. I saw something glittery, and I realized he was crying as he slept. I lay down on the bed beside him and wiped away his tears. Daisuke was the only one I got this comfortable with.

"Just like in Hong Kong," I murmured.

His eyes fluttered open, and he stretched. "Did I fall asleep…? Gomen." He flipped over onto his stomach and held his chin in his hands, looking at me. He was cheery again. "So…tell me about Sakura. She's the cute one that thought I was gonna kill you or something at the school, right?"

I blushed…and nodded, looking away. He chuckled. "See, I practice martial arts while you hang out with your teacher."

"…Urusai," I mumbled, embarrassed.

He laughed. "Oh, Syao-chan, you're so cute! Too bad there isn't something that would ensure you two falling in love, huh?"

I tensed. Actually, there is. I didn't say anything, though. She clearly loved Ayumu. I sighed.

_I guess I can be in love with her…_

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

"Sakura…chan?" Ayumu asked weakly. I sat up straight, and gasped. I quickly rubbed away my tears and smiled at him.

"Were you…crying for me?"

"Uh, hai," I lied. No, it's because of Syaoran-kun. Oh yeah, that helps. Pssh.

He smiled. "It's okay, I feel fine."

I returned his smile. "That's good."

There was a short silence between us. I know I had I'm thinking of Syaoran on my face, but I couldn't help it! He had stormed out so angrily before!

"So…I'll make you some green tea," I suggested, standing up. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I turned around to face him. "Uh…?"

He gasped, realizing what he was doing. He let go, muttering an apology.

I quickly ran over to the teapot and poured out some water. My hand was trembling. A few minutes later, I handed Ayumu his tea.

He looked up at me. "…You're trembling."

"O-oh? I hadn't noticed," I said, faking a smile and looking at my lap. My whole body was trembling now. It was so wrong. I couldn't get Syaoran out of my head. He was so kind to me in the battle, and stayed calm through out the whole thing. He even managed to comfort me, and I could still feel his warmth. That wasn't the delinquent Syaoran. That was an elegant, caring Syaoran that I knew he showed no one.

Ayumu grimaced and stared into his tea. "…You weren't crying for me, were you?" he asked. I froze and didn't say anything. "It was for Syaoran, wasn't it?" He addressed Syaoran like he was dust on the floor. I shook even harder now.

"Ah…ah…" I was on the verge of tears. I didn't know how to answer! There were so many things flying through my mind, and most of them included Syaoran.

Ayumu looked up at me with a pained look. "Do you…love Syaoran?"

I gulped. "I…I…ii…ii…iie…" I stuttered. I covered my mouth with my hand.

Ayumu stared at me. "…Prove it."

I blinked. "Wh...wh...what?"

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He wobbled over to his bag, and started digging through it.

As he was walking back, he stumbled, and I rushed over to help him. "Daijobou?"

He groaned and passed out again. I sighed, and placed the box back in his bag. I dragged him back over to his bed and threw the covers over him.

Yoshiyuki came back, and I left Ayumu in his care.

My heart was beating really hard. If I loved Syaoran…what would happen? Would he love me, too? It was all confusing, and my brain and my heart started to ache.

The door to our room was unlocked. I gulped and tried to wait until my face wasn't so hot to go in. I was about to open it, when I heard voices.

"…Syao-chan, you're blushing!" a voice chuckled. I gasped quietly and pressed my ear against the wood. I knew that voice from somewhere…!

"Shut up! You would too, if…" Syaoran trailed.

"So you really think you love her?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"…Yes," Syaoran mumbled.

"Kawaii! Have you told her yet?"

"Iie…it'd be way too embarrassing!"

"Waah! My Syao-chan is in love!"

"Shut up!"

"But…what about that teacher you were so friendly with before?"

"Her? Please! Never! We're friends, sure, but there's no way I'd fall in love with her!" Syaoran scoffed.

The other guy laughed. I felt sick. I covered my hand with my mouth and slid down the wall. I couldn't help the tears that spilled over onto my cheeks. Syaoran-kun's in love with someone else…! Then I blinked. _But why am I crying? I have no reason to cry. It's not like I love him or something_. I told myself this, and believed it. But my heart still ached.

* * *

"Did something happen, Sakura-chan?"

I looked up at Tomoyo. "Eh?"

"You seem so sad. Did something happen with you and Ayumu-san, or…?" she asked, trailing off. But I knew she was going to say Syaoran. I almost burst into tears again.

I shook my head and took another sip of water.

Tomoyo raised one eyebrow. "Something has to be wrong. I mean, we're at a bar and you just got water."

"So?" I mumbled.

Gachinko de Ikou was playing in the background. People were dancing to it, and it was just a normal night at the place.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and my eyes widened. "Ayumu-kun…!" I gasped.

He smiled at me, but his eyes still held pain. "Will you dance with me?"

I looked down and nodded. I took his hand, which he had outstretched.

As we walked over to the crowd of people dancing, I asked, "Are you sure you should be out here? I mean, after all that happened today, we're hanging out here."

"It's because we all want to forget what happened today."

I didn't. I didn't want to forget Syaoran's comforting words to me. Sure, I'd definitely like to forget seeing a kitty murdered right before my eyes, but not Syaoran.

We reached the dance floor.

"…So…shouldn't we be dancing now?" I asked nervously. Everyone was watching us.

"Sakura-chan," Ayumu said, and I looked at him. My eyes widened in disbelief. The box he had grabbed earlier was on the floor, discarded. Ayumu was now holding a little velvet box. He was on his knee, and flicked it open to a very pretty ring. "Will you marry me?"

I stared at him, my eyes even wider than before. All the people were giggling and watching me intently.

_I don't believe this._

That man had the worst possible timing.

* * *

**GASP! XD Heheh. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SAKURA'S ANSWER! What will Syaoran do? Kekeke. REVIEW PLEASE! And don't forget my other story! *begging like a dog* X3 I hope you liked this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Chapter 14_**

**Whoa. I can't believe summer's almost over. O.o Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! ^^**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

Everyone was staring and quivering with excitement. My mouth was hanging open and my eyes were really wide. Ayumu was looking up at me with that soft, warm gaze.

"I know that I did bad things, Sakura-chan, and even thought bad of you," he told me, holding the ring tighter. "But I promise that it will never happen again. The devil inside of me is gone." With the last sentence, he winked. Figuratively _and _literally, the devil was gone.

Syaoran flashed through my mind; all of the things that had happened between us. He was always there to protect me. He made my school time fun.

Then I remembered the conversation I had eavesdropped on. I was certain I was 'that teacher' he had been friends with.

I snapped back to reality. That's right. Even though it was small, there was an age difference. He had his high school crushes, and I had Ayumu…maybe 'high school crushes' doesn't suit Syaoran's personality, but it's all the same.

Tears came to my eyes. I, uh, don't know why…(A/N I think you do! :D)

I reached out to Ayumu slowly with one hand until it touched his face. Then the other, around his neck. Suddenly, I pulled him into a hug.

"Sakura-chan…?" Ayumu asked uncertainly, his hand wavering in the air. The whole room held its breath.

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"I will," I whispered simply.

Ayumu's face lit up as the whole room burst into cheers and ordered us some drinks. The music started again, and Ayumu wrapped his arms tightly around me.

Everyone was dancing and beaming and after saying he loved me, he walked off the get patted on the back by some of his new friends.

I tried my hardest to smile. But I found it difficult. All I could think about was…

"Sakura-sensei."

I turned around and 'smiled' at Eriol.

"Eriol-kun."

He gave me a hard look. "What about Syaoran-kun?"

I gasped, but the music was really loud after our big scene.

"Wh…what was that? I couldn't hear you, the music was too loud…" I lied, half holding my hand up to my ear.

After staring at me, he shook his head and walked off, and I felt some guilt ball up in me.

"Sensei!" Rika ran over to me, looking concerned. She had a bit of lip-gloss smeared on her cheek.

I coughed. "Ano, your cheek…"

"Ah…oh…" She blushed and wiped it away with the sleeve of her sweater. "A-anyways! Why did you say yes to him?" she asked. "I thought you liked Li-kun!"

I dropped my gaze. "Well…you thought wrong."

She frowned. She opened her mouth to argue when a big hand slipped around her arm. Yoshiyuki shook his head and Rika gave me a look before turning around and walking away with him.

The ball of guilt became bigger.

I got a drink, but a light one. I felt like crap. I stared at the ring on my finger. It was a nice sized diamond, I think…

I teared up when I looked at it. I clenched my teeth together and slid the empty glass across the table.

"Refill?"

I shook my head and walked over to Ayumu. "Ayumu-kun…?"

He kissed my cheek merrily. "Yes?"

"I'm, um, not feeling well. I'm gonna call it a night."

"Oh…okay," he said, frowning a little bit.

"Well…ja." I tried to get away quickly, but he grabbed me and kissed me before sending me off to my room.

I shut the door behind me and sighed. It echoed the soundless hallway.

Sigh, sigh, sigh…

"Sakura-chan."

I looked up. Two voices at once. It was Kero and Tomoyo. Yue and Kaho were behind them, their expressions grave.

"Ah…Tomoyo-chan. Kero-chan."

"Sakura-chan, did you really say yes to him?" Kero asked.

I nodded my head, and expected Tomoyo to say something like _'I'll design your wedding dress! And mine!' _She didn't say anything.

"Sakura." Kaho spoke now. "Even after all that's happened, you still chose that man?"

I looked away and nodded.

"Or could it be," Yue said, "that in a cloud of uncertainty, you told him yes so that you could _force _yourself to be certain?"

My eyes widened. "Uh…" He was seeing right through me. "No! I love Ayumu! Since before Syaoran-kun even came into my life!"

"Liar!" Tomoyo yelled.

I looked up. "Eh…"

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The panging noise rang through the air crisply, echoing just as my sigh had. I gently touch my left cheek.

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"Tomoyo-chan…you slapped me…" I choked.

"Yes, I did," she said simply. She gave me a cold look before dashing up the stairs.

"W...what?" I whispered. She was my best friend. I had never even considered that she could slap me, or vice versa.

"Sakura-chan…" Kero looked and sounded disappointed.

I looked away from them quickly, and tears flew from my eyes and glittered like diamonds in the air. I dashed past the group and rushed up to my room. After slashing the key-card violently through the reader, I opened the door and stepped in, slamming it behind me. I held onto the handle tightly, my knuckles turning white. I was trembling like mad and the tears dripped down to the green carpeting, disappearing as they landed. Slowly, I bent down and rested my forehead against the cool wood, still holding the handle, and held back sobs. My teeth were clenched together so hard they hurt.

"Oi."

That familiar voice startled me, and I whacked my head on the door. I sank lower to the ground, holding my head. "Itai…"

"Pfft--ahaha!" Syaoran laughed loudly behind me.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"So, what happened to your oh-so fragile self this time, eh?" he asked, grabbing my wrist.

I whipped around, prepared to hiss at him, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the look he was giving me. They weren't hard or cold as they had once been; now, they looked so warm and caring…I looked away quickly so I didn't get carried away.

_And now, I'm engaged to Ayumu._

My eyebrows furrowed up and I bit my lip. I once again started crying; I was engaged to Ayumu, everyone close to me was disappointed, and Tomoyo had slapped me.

"Waaah!" I cried, leaping into Syaoran's arms.

"Na-nani?" he yelled. I almost knocked him out of his squatting position, but he stuck his hand out and sat normally, one arm around my shoulder, comforting me. "I don't know what happened," he whispered into my ear, "but I'll hold you for now if no one else can."

My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. "What…?" I asked, looking up at him.

His face went red and he looked away. "Don't make me say it again! It's so unmanly."

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun."

I felt his hand twitch, and then both arms wrapped around me, holding me securely against his body. I closed my eyes slowly.

Then they flew open again. _Matte! I can't be doing this! I'm engaged as of twenty minutes ago! I have to tell him Ayumu proposed to me, and I said yes! _My eyelids lowered again, slowly. I wouldn't bother telling him. I really should have, but I didn't. I should have jumped out of his arms right then and there, as well, but I wanted to enjoy his comfort.

And then, it would be sayoonara, Syaoran.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I held her tighter. My emotions had gotten the better of me. She smelled so good. She was so soft, and it felt like I could break her if I held her any tighter…

When my common sense came spilling back to me, I let her go reluctantly. I studied her face, and noticed her cheek was swollen.

"Are you following my lead and getting into fights or something?" I asked, standing up. I got some ice from the mini fridge's freezer thing and wrapped it up in a cloth. "Here."

She had sat down on her bed, and pressed the cloth to her face. She looked really sad.

"So…what happened?" I flopped down beside her, pulling out a cigarette.

"I got slapped…" she murmured.

I bolted upright. "Nani! It better not have been Ayumu!" I hissed.

She shook her head. "It was…a girl. She got mad at me for a decision I made…that I'm unsure of."

She clearly didn't want to talk about it, so I let it drop. "You should get some rest."

She smiled at me sadly. "Since when are you the caring person?"

"Since right now. Now go to bed, and fall asleep. I don't wanna hear you bawling your eyes out all night."

"Yes, Otou-san," she said in a mockingly sweet voice.

The next morning, I walked down to breakfast with her. She seemed really uneasy, and I knew it had something to do with last night, but I didn't want to force her to tell me.

I saw Tomoyo walking by. "Hey! Daidouji-san!" I called, waving to her. She smiled and waved back before walking over to us. I felt Sakura tense beside me.

"Ohayo, Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan," she greeted, bowing. Her eyes traveled to the bandage on Sakura's face. Sakura looked down and slowly poked her cheek, wincing when she did. Then she smiled weirdly at Tomoyo. Tomoyo's expression was too confusing for me to comprehend. I knew then that it was Tomoyo who had hit Sakura before. I still didn't know why, though.

"Did you tell Syaoran-kun the big news?" she asked Sakura, smiling.

"Uhm…"

Tomoyo's eyes narrowed. "You _did _tell him, didn't you?"

Sakura shook her head. Tomoyo balled her hands into fists and looked like she was gonna hit someone, but then she relaxed again. "Here's your chance."

"What?"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

I shuddered and held back a gag at his stupidly happy voice. He rushed over to Sakura and hugged her tightly, then kissed her.

"Oi! No PDA!" I hissed.

He smirked at me and pulled Sakura closer to him. I felt a vein pop in my head. _Must…not…hit…prissy boy!_

He ignored me and turned back to Sakura. "So, should we wait until we get back to make plans?"

My ear twitched. "Plans? For what?"

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "Plans for our wedding, stupid."

My eyebrows almost flew off my head. "Eh!"

"That's right." He squeezed her tighter. "I proposed to her last night. And she said yes."

Sakura nodded, but her face was covered by her bangs.

My mouth hung open. _NANI?_

"That's right. We're getting married."

You have no idea how tempting it was to bomb his house right then and there.

* * *

**No, Syaoran! Don't become a terrorist! XD For the record, those dots were just for dramatic pauses. XD Hope ya liked the chapter! ^^ PLEASE REVIEW! ^^ And don't forget about my new story, either! I just got a bad review for it...but only one...it feels like I had a child that I'm so proud of, and then they just called it ugly. TTvTT But I won't delete it. I'll let it stay there...everyone's opinion counts, and I won't delete it because then I'd feel like a coward. I hope you'll read it, and review it (cough, kindly) Thank you! **


	15. Chapter 15

**_Chapter 15_**

**Hmm...well...this is a rather long chapter, isn't it? XD I wanted to fit it all in. And it took me forever to write...I hope you like it! :P And good luck to everyone whose school year is starting around now! ^.^ I love MY class! Please review! ;)**

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I stared in horror, first at Ayumu, then at Syaoran. Syaoran was trembling. I bit my lip. I desperately hoped that he wouldn't say 'I'm happy for you,' or 'congratulations.'

"Syaoran-kun?" Tomoyo asked in a voice that sounded as if she was about to explode in excitement. I decided to ignore this.

He looked up through his bangs. He glared at Ayumu for a moment, then dragged his eyes to mine. My fists clenched. His gaze was icy and dark. I had never seen him like that before.

I expected him to start yelling or something, like he usually did. But instead, he spun around on his heel coolly and walked in the direction we came from.

"Sy-Syaoran-kun!" I called to his back. He went on, ignoring me.

Eriol raced over to us and stood beside Tomoyo. He looked really uneasy. "What did you say to him?"

"What do you _think _I said to him?" Ayumu spat. "I told him the great news." He laced his fingers through mine.

I felt like I was going to be sick. I stared blankly at the floor. My head was spinning. "Uhh…"

I stumbled forward light-headedly. I would have fallen flat to the ground if Eriol hadn't caught me.

"S-Sensei! Daijobou?" Eriol asked nervously.

"I…don't feel so good…" I told him slowly.

"Rrgh…where's Syaoran-kun when you need him…" he muttered. He put his arm under the bridge of my legs and hoisted them, along with my shoulders. "Ah…you're…kind of heavy…"

"Urusai!" I managed to snap back. He chuckled.

"Hey! I'll carry her!" Ayumu whined.

"You shut it!" Tomoyo snapped.

"You're the reason this happened! You interfered with fate, you demon." Eriol's voice surprised me. It dripped with acid.

"But-I'm her fiancée!" Ayumu complained.

"Stop whining like a little kid!" Tomoyo told him. "You're like 100, aren't you? So can it!"

That shut him up.

I looked over at Tomoyo. There was three of her. Heheh…

"I thought you were mad at me," I breathed shakily.

She pursed her lips. "I am. But, you're sick. And so, I can't let my cherry blossom stay sick." She patted my head like I was a little kid.

Well, that was one problem solved, I think. I smiled before slowly losing consciousness.

* * *

**_Tomoyo's Point of View_**

Eriol placed Sakura gently down on her bed in the hotel room. She was running a high fever. I wet a cloth with cold water and put it on her forehead after pushing her bangs back.

"What happened, Eriol-kun?" I asked, concerned. "This is so random, she seemed fine…"

Eriol swore under his breath before answering. "It's because she's denying the prophecy. Her magic and the remnants of the devil's magic in Ayumu are mingling now, and Syaoran-kun's magic and Sakura-sensei's magic are confused…"

"So…it's her magic doing this?" I asked.

He nodded. "It's effects will be on and off until the three of them settle things."

"I see…" I mumbled, biting my lip nervously.

"I just worry about what's happening to Syaoran…" he said, trailing off.

I smiled. "You really love him, don't you? Like a friend," I added when he gave me a weird stare.

"I guess I do."

I hesitated, but my hand reached his back in a comforting gesture. His eyes traveled to my hand. Then he closed his eyes and gripped my arm. He had a firm yet gentle hold. I gasped in surprise. He yanked my arm, causing me to stumble forward. My face was right in front of his. I looked into his clear, sapphire eyes. I realized my mouth was hanging open and quickly closed it.

I looked him up and down in an instant. He really did have long legs. Even though I knew he got into a lot of fights, his skin looked soft and unscratched. I breathed in his scent. It was a subtle smell; a light cologne.

He ran his fingers through my hair. "You have very soft, long hair…" he whispered.

"Ahem." A cough came from beside us. A fake one, obviously.

My neck snapped over to Sakura. She was looking at us skeptically, one eyebrow cocked. "It's nice to see you guys can rendezvous at foot of your sick friend's bed," she said, clearly amused. I guess I deserved it. After all, usually our positions were switched, and I made fun of Sakura and Syaoran…

"Ah, sorry, Sensei," Eriol said calmly, smiling. At first, I was kind of amazed that he didn't sound the least bit embarrassed. But I when I looked at him, I had to stifle a giggle. His ears were bright pink, and he did look rather embarrassed.

"How do you feel, Sakura-chan?" I asked her.

She thought for a second. "Well…before I felt like I had a fever of like forty…but now I just feel like I have a cold…what's happening?"

"Your magic is confused…or something," I told her. "And for the record, you probably _did _have a fever of forty."

"My magic?" Sakura sighed. "I take it you know what to do, Kaho-chan?"

I blinked and looked at the door in surprise. Sure enough, Kaho was standing there, Yue and Kero behind her. She smiled at Sakura. "I do."

Kaho strode over to the armchair by the window and sat down in it. "You have to work out your feelings." She looked straight at Sakura. "And be true to them. If you keep on like this, destiny will lose its way and come crashing down to alter everything. If you don't follow what you were meant to do it's quite possible everything will change. Everything," she explained calmly.

"But…why was Syaoran so mad?" Sakura asked innocently. "It's not like he's in love with me or something."

On cue, everyone in the room but Sakura sighed, shaking their heads. I know we were all thinking, _is she really that dumb? _She looked around, confused.

I smiled at Sakura and she smiled back, still thoroughly confused.

But, that's the innocent but strong Sakura we all know and love.

* * *

**_Eriol's Point of View_**

After discussing things with Sakura, I excused myself after wishing Sakura good health. Heh. I'm such a gentleman. And it seems that Tomoyo is starting to see this now too. Good. Gah, but we were so close before, and then Sakura interrupted us…sigh. Ahh, well, I'll get another chance.

So anyways, I thought for a second about where Syaoran might be. Just like Sakura, he also needed to sort out his feelings so that their magic would once again be completely in sync.

After a moment of thinking, it dawned on me that he had probably snuck his way up to the roof. He liked high places, and found them whenever he needed to cool off, or think about something.

I pressed one of the buttons on the elevator, and only had to wait a few seconds before it came. The doors opened, and I stepped in. When I looked up, I saw that Terada-sensei and Rika, from my class, were, like, rendezvousing or something. But they were awfully close.

When it got to the top floor, as I was stepping out, I smiled at them. "There goes one of your freebies, Sensei." I didn't wait for a reply and walked to the end of the hall, where the stairwell leading up to the roof was.

The door wasn't locked, so I opened it and walked up the stairs. The door at the top of the stairs was slightly ajar, which lead me to believe that Syaoran actually _was _on the roof. Heh. How could I be wrong, right?

I stepped onto the roof, closing the door behind me. I looked around briefly, and spotted Syaoran leaning against the side of the raised up 'walls' of the roof. I walked over to him.

"Yo," I greeted him.

He didn't say anything back. I looked closer at his face. His bangs mostly obscured his face, but I could see the deathly look in his eyes. He looked about ready to kill someone.

I swallowed uneasily. I had never seen Syaoran like this before. Except…

I remembered one time when I had asked about his family. He gave me this look, lit a cigarette and walked away.

"So…y-your magic is just confused. If you talk to Sakura-sensei, then-"

He glared at me dangerously. My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to say something, but as I did, his glare turned into a grin. A cold, deathly grin, even worse than the glare.

"We're in Kyoto, right?" he asked suddenly.

I was taken aback by the random question. "Uhh…yes."

He leaned his back against the side of the roof. "Hmm…then that gang, Dark Horse, is here?"

"Well…I guess…but…you couldn't be thinking that you wanna take them on?" Dark Horse was the gang that ruled Kyoto; a lot of kids like us knew who they were. But we also knew they were really strong, which was why they ruled Kyoto. They were a pack of older guys, and we were all still in high school, as you know. "Are you sure…?"

"Of course I'm sure," he said coolly. "If it turns into any trouble, I'll just have to use my magic."

I hesitated. "You really shouldn't use your magic in front of other people unless you really, really need to…"

He ignored me. "They'll probably be around here, eh? I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find them if we ask around…"

He walked toward the door. I followed behind him cautiously.

After a moment, I asked, "So…are you gonna talk to Sakura-sensei?"

He stopped dead. My heart skipped a beat; I thought I was gonna die! He turned around to look at me. The look in his eyes intensified. He really looked capable of killing.

"This will be our first real fight in a while, huh?" he said.

"Uhm…yes…" I choked. I was usually able to keep calm and cool, especially when I was with Syaoran, but this time…he was just scaring me. I didn't know what to expect from him. He turned around and started walking again. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief.

I cleared my throat. "So, I should call the other guys. They'll wanna be a part of this, too."

"…Whatever. As long as they don't get in my way."

I whipped out my cell phone and punched in Yamazaki's number.

"Hello?" his voice answered. "Hiiragazawa?"

"Yeah, uh, can you meet us at the front of the hotel, please?" I asked quickly. I was staring at Syaoran's back cautiously.

"Sure, why?" he asked.

"…Syaoran-kun wants to start a fight with Dark Horse…"

"WHAT! Dark Horse? WHY!" Yamazaki screamed. I heard the rest of the gang in the background, questioning him.

"I don't know! He's in a crazy mood right now, and I'm about to piss my pants!" I hissed.

"Oh, uhm, okay…we'll be there in a minute…"

I sighed and flipped the phone down.

"So…I called the other guys…they'll be coming in a minute…" I told Syaoran. He didn't reply.

* * *

I spotted Samurakami waving to us from the garden outside the hotel. I smiled and waved back. Inside, I was thinking something along the lines of _THANK GOD! I WAS DROWNING IN THAT THICK, COLD SILENCE! _

Syaoran didn't stop to wait for them; he just glided on by and had them stumbling to keep up.

Yamazaki ran up to me. "So, what's wrong with him?" he asked in a hushed voice.

I looked at him sideways. "Sakura-sensei."

Yamazaki sighed. "What an idiot…isn't she like engaged now-"

"GAH!" I slapped my hand over his mouth. He blinked at me, his eyes watery. I grunted and put my hand back at my side. While he rubbed the red mark my hand had left, I held a finger to my lips and shook my head.

"Tries to act cool after freaking out…" I heard him grumble.

By now, we had walked to a weird looking place. Syaoran grabbed some random guy with bleached hair by the collar, and lifted him off the ground with a glare.

"Where can I find Dark Horse?" he asked threateningly.

"Uhh…" The guy pointed a shaky finger to a back alley with a dead end at the back. Syaoran cast him aside (literally) and marched through to the alley. We followed him uneasily.

Sure enough, there were some tough looking guys hanging out with some girls. Syaoran shoved his thumbs into his pockets and furrowed his brows even more. He kicked over a garbage can to get their attention, and rested one foot on it.

"Oi!" he announced. "You guys are Dark Horse, no?"

One guy with a lot of muscles…and veins…stood up…did I mention he had a lot of veins? Bulging out? Ewwww!

Ahem.

"Yeah? What about it, kid?" he asked in a rough voice. This guy was seriously scary. But Syaoran didn't even flinch once; just glared.

But then, he cracked a smile. An _evil _smile.

"Let's fight, ugly."

The big vein on his forehead got even bigger. "What did you call me?"

"What are you, hard of hearing?" Syaoran cupped his hands over his mouth. "UGLY! I CALLED YOU UGLY, UGLY!"

"ARRGHH!" He leaped at Syaoran, and some of the girls screamed, thinking they already knew the outcome of the fight. He outstretched his fist, and Syaoran just stood there.

As his hand was about to connect with Syaoran's head, Syaoran ducked and grabbed the lid of the garbage can and as the guy was flying over his head, Syaoran crashed the lid into his abdomen. With a sickening crunch, I heard one of his ribs crack, if not break. Leave it to Syaoran to use a garbage can lid…

"Shintaro!" a girl shrieked as he slid across the ground and smashed into the wall.

Syaoran grinned darkly. "Who's next, huh?" Four more confused looking guys stood up and charged. One of them took out a pocketknife.

Syaoran kicked one of them away, threw the lid at another's head and punched the third. The one with pocketknife ran faster and managed to stab it into Syaoran's arm. They both kind of paused.

Syaoran flicked his eyes straight into his attackers'. He put his hands on the dude's shoulders and kicked him in the stomach. He crumpled to the ground, and Syaoran ripped the knife out of his arm.

"Ehhh…is that reaaally all the famous Dark Horse gang can do?" Syaoran asked as he pulled up one of the men by his hair. There was a light click, and he looked back to see a gun being pointed at him by Shintaro, who was still in a heap on the ground. But, he had managed to take out his gun and point it at my friend.

I would have stepped in, but Syaoran looked like he would he throw me into a wall if I tried to help him.

"Ohh, now I see…you cheat in every battle, don't you?" Syaoran smiled that sickening new grin. "You're only s'posed to pull a gun when you're allowed to, not when you know you're about to get beaten…"

_Click click click click. _

Syaoran just sighed and pushed his hair back. He showed no fear at all, just coldness.

Shintaro growled and pulled the trigger, and the other four guys did as well. One of them had to hit Syaoran if he didn't, but he had plenty of time to get away with his speed.

But he didn't move.

I cursed under my breath. I knew what his next move was going to be.

He raised his arms and erected a barrier by magic, which the bullets bounced off of. Then he flicked his wrists and the guns flew out of Dark Horse's hands. One of them bee lined to Syaoran's hand, and he caught it and pointed it at Shintaro.

"You aren't so tough," Syaoran growled. Shintaro's eyes were wide with fear, obviously wondering what the hell had sent his bullets flying.

Syaoran's finger inched to the trigger.

"Syaoran-kun! Don't!" I called out to him. Again, he ignored me and shot the gun. A second later, blood was spurting out of Shintaro's arm and he was howling with pain.

Syaoran whipped the pistol at the ground and dashed away. I followed him, beckoning for the rest of the gang to come too.

"Syaoran-kun!" I caught up to speed with him. "One! You didn't have to shoot him! Two! You shouldn't have used magic, you could have easily gotten away before they touched you!"

He didn't turn to look at me. "I can do what I want."

I would have yelled at him or something, but at that moment, he would've come right back and eaten me for dinner. So I let it drop.

But, what I didn't let drop was…

"So, now that you've blown off some steam, why don't you go talk to Sakura-sensei?" I asked.

It all happened so fast, I didn't know what was happening. Syaoran was stopping and turning around at the same time. He outstretched his hand and smashed me right in the face. Since I was still running at top speed, I went right into it, and flew backwards.

I hit the ground with a thud, and it knocked the wind out of me. Blood was spilling out of my nose; if it was broken, I could just have Kaho fix it with magic, but I would still give Syaoran a beating…

I bolted upright, one hand covering my bloody face. Yamazaki and the others had stopped as well, and were looking on. I shook my head at Yamazaki, and he nodded back before running off with the rest of them.

"What the hell was that for!" I yelled.

He glared at me. I glared back.

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees. He clenched a trembling fist and whacked it into the ground. Blood slowly pooled around his hand.

"Syaoran-kun…?" I asked slowly.

He held his hand up wobbly. "…Kuso…"

"Syao-?"

"KUSOOO!" Again, he punched the ground.

"You'll break all the bones in your hand, retard!"

"Shut up!" he screamed back. "I don't care! What I care about is that she's getting married to that creep…!"

"…Sakura-sensei…?" Hmm. Now we're getting somewhere…

"Wasn't I the one that protected her from Abe…the one that helped her to defeat the devil that just _happens _to be her fiancée now…our useless fights…whenever we'd get lost in each other's eyes…when she took care of my head…when I hugged her…" He clenched his fists. "When we kissed…" His voice grew more pained. "I thought she liked it as much as I did…"

I smiled at him and helped him up. "Well…we'll clean up your hand, and then…you can go and talk to Sakura-sensei." He looked up at me pitifully. I smiled even wider. "Your magic's just confused. She got sick, and you got major mood swings. But once you sort it all out…it'll all be fine again. She may not even get married to Ayumu…"

He cracked a smile. "Thank you, Eriol." He cradled his hand as I pulled him off the ground and onto his feet.

"And, uh…I won't tell anyone about this," I told him, grinning. He grinned back and kicked my leg lightly.

"You sure as hell aren't."

* * *

**You may be wondering why I did all of that in Eriol's Point of View. Well, I wanted to conceal Syaoran's real feelings until the end of the chapter. And I just wanted to do Eriol's Point of View...XD I hope you liked it! PlEaSe ReViEw!**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Chapter 16_**

**OMG! I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! And it's not even really that long...but it's kind of sad. With twisted humour. =v= Haha. Whatever. Just read it! XD And I'm having like a marathon of fanfictions that I'll be writing, (mostly for CCS) so I hope you'll look out for them! ^^ **

**And I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Yingfa07. For taking the care to PM me about updating because I'm so lazy...(I'm actually not lazy, I spent the week at the hospital! XD) But the message made me so happy~~I just had to update as soon as I could~~Thank you, Yingfa07!**

**Enjoy! And please remember to review! **

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I was still kind of wobbly on my feet, but at least I wasn't about to die. Tomoyo suggested we stay in the room, but I insisted on going into the garden to sit.

"Fresh air will be good, I guess," she'd said before helping me get up. She had to stay close to me in case I stumbled and lost my balance.

I sighed as I sat down on the bench amidst the beautiful array of plants and flowers.

"Isn't it beautiful here?" I asked Tomoyo, smiling.

"I know! And the smell just refreshes you, like it wipes away all your problems," she replied, inhaling deeply. She turned to me. "Do you feel any better?"

"I guess…but I won't be completely better until I sort things out with Syaoran-kun," I sighed. He looked like a terrorist when Ayumu practically rubbed our engagement in his face.

Tomoyo sensed my uneasiness and slung her arm around my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Sakky-chan," she told me in a soothing voice. "I'm sure he'll resist beating that wrinkle-free old geezer to the prune he should be. Or not. Either way, I'm fine with it."

I smiled. Good old Tomoyo. You never know what she's thinking.

"So what about you and Eriol-kun, huh?" I asked, smirking. "What was that back in-"

"Oh…nothing!" she said quickly. At first I thought she was only acting distracted. But then I realized she was trying to see something through the leaves of a really big plant-or was it a small tree…?

"Whatcha lookin' at?" I whispered to her.

She held a finger to her lips and stood silently. I followed her to hide behind the large…leafy thing. We watched intently, Tomoyo filming with a steady hand, as the two figures talked. We moved even closer when the smaller one-the female-tried to leave, but the guy grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him. Tomoyo and I kept moving closer to them as they got closer to each other, it seems, because we ended up falling forward and interrupting the scene.

The girl let out a little shriek and the guy put his arms around her protectively. We looked up to see Chiharu and Yamazaki!

Tomoyo and I gasped and looked at each other before bursting out in laughter.

"Syaoran-kun, Eriol-kun and now Yamazaki-kun!" I said between bursts of laughter.

"We just can't stay away from the bad boys!" Tomoyo finished, holding her stomach as she laughed.

Yamazaki and Chiharu just stood there red-faced, looking at us like we were retards.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

Eriol and I walked back to his room. Eriol healed my hand so that there was only a cut where I had punched the ground really hard. But he couldn't do anything about all the bruises I got from the fight, or the blood that was splattered everywhere on me.

"Hmm…does blood stain?" I asked, holding out my shirt.

"You should know by now," Eriol chuckled. He was making soup. He just throws in whatever and hopes it tastes good.

I took my shirt off and threw it at him. "Ehh, I'll just give it to you to clean."

"Lazy bum." He sighed dramatically. "But I'll do it, just in case you have another mood swing and feel like eating rats but since you can't find any you take it out on me."

I stared at him. "…You're a retard."

He grinned. "But it's true! You were really scaring the crap outta me there! Thank God you're back to normal now, but you really should see Sakura-sensei soon before it happens again," he told me, pointing his big stirring spoon at me and spattering me with soup.

I sighed, wiping my face. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I just don't know what to say…"

"I do." Eriol stuck the spoon in my face again. "How about, 'I love you'?"

I blushed.

Eriol smirked.

"You're so cute, Syaoran-kun," he told me, laughing. Turning back to his soup, he added, "And easy to read."

I put my face in my hand. "But I don't know if I do-"

"Who cares?" Eriol butted in. "If you don't now, you will soon enough. After all, it's written. You know, just like that guy in Slumdog Millionaire."

"Th-that's a fictional story, Eriol," I said, thinking about what he said.

"Um, no, it isn't. It's based on a true story," he snorted. "Baka."

"Shut up!"

"Hey, come on," he said, ladling some of the soup into a bowl, "just think about her. Close your eyes and think. You'll be able to decide then." He handed me the bowl.

I did as he said. I closed my eyes and thought about Sakura, reliving the last 15 chapters of this story.

My eyes snapped open and my hands lost their grip on the soup. Eriol quickly stopped it from falling to the ground with magic, and set it on the table.

"Figure anything out?" he asked, smiling.

I stood. "Yes."

I ran out the door…and ran back in to grab a clean shirt.

I put it on as I raced through the hall back to our room. I banged it open; she wasn't there. I cursed and tried to think of a place where she might be.

As I was going to the elevator, I saw a window and glanced through it. It was the garden, and as soon as I looked down at it, I started to feel wobbly on my feet. I knew instantly that she was down there.

I pressed the elevator button a million times, but it just wouldn't come fast enough. I looked over at the window. I slid it open, and to my luck, there was no screen in it. I grabbed the top of it and threw myself out.

My only thought was-I love Sakura and I'll do whatever it takes to tell her. _Right now. _

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

We said goodbye to Yamazaki and Chiharu, and promised we wouldn't say anything about them if they didn't want us to.

"Ehh-that was weird," I said to Tomoyo. We still had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. Clearly, Yamazaki and Chiharu hadn't gotten it.

We made our way to a long path, and started walking along it.

"Sakura!"

My eyes widened as I turned slowly to see Syaoran, slightly out of breath.

"I have something to tell you."

He walked towards me cautiously. "I know something for sure now…"

My heart seemed to think my chest was a punching bag.

You might not think it's dramatic, but it was a scene right out of a romantic movie for me. There was a slight breeze, making his hair more tousled than usual, and there was the right amount of sunlight and shade.

"I love you."

My face heated up insanely in that one moment, and my heart almost leapt out of my mouth.

It was what I had been dreading the most.

It was what I had been wanting the most.

My mouth just hung open slightly. I had no idea what to do. I desperately wished he would burst out laughing and tell me how stupid I looked, that it was just a joke.

But I was so happy that he didn't.

He walked up to me and just looked at me with his beautiful amber eyes, and started getting lost in them. But I was able to keep my focus this time; I tried to say something, anything, but wouldn't let me.

He kissed me suddenly, embracing me warmly. I knew it was because he had intended to, not because he had lost himself in our staring contest. My whole body turned to jelly.

When we finally unlocked, he looked into my eyes again.

"I just thought I'd tell you," he whispered.

I looked away from him, turning my head down. My eyes landed on the ring Ayumu had given me. I bit my lip as Ayumu, everything I knew about him, raced through my mind.

I shook my head subtly. Syaoran clenched his fists.

"I know what you're thinking about…" he started.

I waited for him to continue. _About what? _I thought. _Fiancés and weddings and schools?_

When he didn't finish his sentence, I looked up.

His face looked like he was the leader of the depressed and the pained. It felt like my heart had been sliced in two and repeatedly run over by a bus. I didn't want to hurt him like this. I would suffocate.

"I'm so sorry, Syaoran-kun," I said quietly. I shouldered past him and started walking back down the path to the hotel.

He grabbed my wrist, and I looked behind me. Bad move. His face alone could make you cry, but his eyes would make you wanna tear you heart out.

I felt the tears welling up, and faced the path again.

"I can't, Syaoran-kun." I pushed Ayumu's ring around my finger, holding back tears only by a thread. I ripped my hand away from him and began walking again.

"But…I love you…"

He said it in such a quiet voice; I was lucky I heard him…well, not really. It only made the tears come faster.

"No!" I choked, dashing down the pathway and out of sight. I heard Tomoyo calling after me, but I didn't slow down.

Funny enough, I ran into Ayumu on my up to the room.

"Sakura-chan! What's wrong? Are you okay? Why are you crying?" he asked in a rush. He wrapped his arms around me comfortingly. I let out a quick sob and dug my face into his chest, gripping his shirt with all my might.

_Why?_

_Why?_

_WHY? _

_Why does this have to happen to me? Why couldn't I be the innocent third party? Why did I have to be stuck in the middle of this horrible situations? _

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

Tomoyo had stopped chasing Sakura and walked back over to me. She looked at me sadly.

I laughed without humour. "I sure messed up, didn't I? I think she's gonna place a restraining order against me." I pointed at her infamous camera. "And on camera, too, haha…"

"Syaoran-kun…" she started, sounding like she was holding back tears.

I held a hand up to stop her. "It's all right, Tomoyo-san. You don't need to comfort me." I smiled at her and walked by her, to go back to the hotel.

"You know…she really doesn't want to hurt you…" Tomoyo squeaked.

I didn't stop or turn around. I just kept walking, my head down, face covered by my bangs. My teeth were about to shatter, I was clamping them together so hard.

Wow.

I realized then just how good being shot was.

* * *

**Hmm. Did it make you cry? XD I hope so! I really want my writing to play with my readers' emotions, but I can't help but add things like getting run over by buses and such at times like that. XD Maybe it will help you not make a fool of yourself by crying randomly as you sit at the computer...if it's sad enough. But maybe that's a bad thing...XD But that comment at the end, in case you didn't get it, it means being shot hurts less than the pain of rejection~~haha. But I wouldn't know...ANYWAYS, REVIEW! PLEASE! XDXDXD**


	17. Chapter 17

**_Chapter 17_ **

**Hello~~I'm so sorry I haven't updated this story in so long. T-T I promise I will make the updates faster from now on! I hope...XD Well, anyway...thank you to everyone who reviews~~**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I trudged back to Eriol's room, dripping wet. Yes, to make mood even worse than before, the sky broke out in a spontaneous rain. Either the earth pitied me or just plain hated me. A replay of the event that had happened a few minutes earlier played over and over again in my mind, making my mood even darker.

I creaked open the door, to see Eriol lounging around, watching TV. He looked at me expectantly, but his face fell when he saw my expression.

"Oh…uh, what happened…?" he asked weakly, muting the television.

I brushed away the hairs that were clinging to my face. "Can you guess?" I growled slowly.

"Syaoran-kun…I'm sorry…" Eriol sat up straight on the bed, watching me with pity.

"Don't look at me like that." My voice was low and threatening, my eyes narrow. "Don't pity me like I'm some pathetic homeless person."

Eriol sighed. "Why can't Sakura-sensei just admit she likes you and get on with it? I can only imagine how she's upset her magic now."

I dried my hair with a towel, then cast it aside before sitting on the opposite bed and removing my sopping wet shirt. Flopping down onto the pillow, I closed my eyes to think more.

_Why can't she just accept me? I'm a whole lot better for her than that wuss Ayumu. He would never be able to protect her if something happened. Hell, she'd have to protect him!_

I turned over so the pillows smothered my face. Rrgh! I just don't understand chicks! They make me so mad!

Before long, I had fallen asleep. And guess what I dreamed about?

Sakura and I, holding hands in the park, laughing, smiling. I know, retarded, right?

We passed by a tree, and then suddenly I was back in the hotel garden, getting rejected as Sakura brushed past me.

Suddenly, the scene warped. It turned into Sakura in a tux and Ayumu in a huge wedding dress, walking down the aisle. Sakura's face was lit up, and Ayumu was giggling and blushing. For some reason, the music playing was Uprising, the ring tone on my cell.

Hmm…the ring tone on my cell…hmm…

I bolted upright, awakened by my cell phone. I scrambled around for it, and fumbled with it before it opened. It was Mizuki-sensei.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I gripped Ayumu's shirt as I sobbed. He had his arms around me, spouting random things to try and comfort me. Obviously, it wasn't working. All I could think about was Syaoran.

Suddenly, I started to sway, and then I vomited. Gasping for air, I vomited again. I saw Ayumu freaking out in my peripheral vision.

Two strong, slender arms pulled me up off the floor; when did I collapse? A cool feeling entered my body from the hands, and I knew someone had halted my nausea and dizziness with magic. I looked up at my saviour-it was Kaho.

"Do you feel all right now?" she asked calmly.

"Uh…uh-huh," I stammered.

She helped me hobble away, completely ignoring Ayumu.

"I was just on my way to see Syaoran-kun," she explained.

My eyes widened. "Uhh…it's not…such a good idea-"

"I know what happened," she said, cutting me off. "It's rather obvious with what happened back there."

"I just…can't," I whispered, feeling another wave of tears coming on. "I mean, I'm engaged…he's…I don't…"

"Well, clearly you _do, _if your magic is acting up like this. And the only time it'll stop is when you admit your feelings."

As we approached Eriol's room, I blinked my tears away, but I knew it wouldn't hide the fact that my eyes were red from crying before. I didn't know how to act now; Kaho was dragging me here on purpose, to coax me into 'relieving my magic'.

Kaho just barged right in, without even knocking. Syaoran's eyes flitted to mine briefly, and then back to Kaho, who walked in further. I slipped into the shadows, hoping to be forgotten.

Kaho smiled cheerfully at Syaoran. "Hi!"

"So…what was it you wanted, Mizuki-sensei?" he asked, keeping his eyes on Kaho.

"The school is holding a big show here. Bottom line-I want you to sing in it," she said bluntly.

I held back a gasp. Since when did Syaoran sing…?

"Ehh?" Everyone's attention suddenly turned to Eriol. "And by Syaoran-kun singing, you mean you want the whole band, right?"

Kaho giggled. "Of course! Syaoran-kun wouldn't agree to it unless he was with you guys. And," she winked at them, "I just might be asking a talent scout to come."

"R-really…?" Syaoran stuttered, taken aback.

"Will you do it? You won't have very much time to rehearse, though…"

"That's all right. Of course we'll do it!" Syaoran looked at Eriol. "It feels like we haven't played in forever, huh?"

Eriol smiled. "I know, right? The last time we played was probably just before Sakura-sensei came into the picture." Eriol and Kaho exchanged a glance; Eriol knew he might have stepped on a mine, but he did on purpose.

Kaho grinned. "Well then, I'll let you choose the music, I guess." She stood. "Well, let's go, then, Sakura-chan."

"Uhh…right," I replied weakly. Before stepping out the door, I stole a last glance at Syaoran. His expression was mixed; he was happy about performing (seriously? Since when is Syaoran a singer?) but still sad about…well, yeah.

When we got back to my room, Kaho sighed.

"Why are you so stubborn?" she asked.

I knew what she was talking about, and just looked down.

She sighed again. "Just…lie down. Get some rest." I did as she said, and before she left the room, she turned around and gave me a look that said 'fix it, please'.

I sighed shakily. When I thought about everything that I'd done to hurt so many people, it made me want to crawl in a hole and die. I felt so bad about it all.

* * *

After a nice nap, I decided to go down to the bar. Anything was better than wallowing in sorrow by myself. Why not do it with other people? Drunk people?

I swayed slightly when I walked, but it was better than puking my guts out on Ayumu's shoes. I made my way carefully down to the hotel bar, and plopped down on the closest seat.

"Want anything?" the bartender asked.

"Erm…a pina colada, please," I ordered.

I drank the cocktail slowly, going over once again the events of today. Was it a mistake? I tried to tell myself I did the right thing, but I don't think I really believed it.

The door opened roughly, and I turned to see who it was. Syaoran stood there, staring at me wide-eyed as I sipped the drink. I felt the colour leave my face.

"Sy…Syaoran-kun…" I squeaked.

He continued to stare at me.

But after a couple of minutes of not moving, blocking out all the sounds and sights around us, Syaoran finally stepped forward and sat on the stool beside me.

I watched him carefully, until he said something.

"I'm sorry," he choked.

"Wh…" The music carried my voice away.

Syaoran looked up at me and smiled in a melancholy way. "For hurting you. I…never should have told you…but…it's the truth, and it always will be. No matter what I say to you, the truth remains that I love you."

I tore my eyes away from his sincere face, my heart threatening to crack my rib cage.

"…Why are you apologizing?" I questioned, speaking just loud enough for him to hear without being drowned out. "I'm the one that's sorry."

Another moment of silence. Syaoran's hand twitched, and then slowly moved towards me.

"Syaoran-chan!"

We both looked up to see Daisuke standing in the doorway, panting and pale. Syaoran immediately stood.

"What…?" he started, trailing off as the green haired teen staggered toward him.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

"What happened?" I asked my brother in a low voice.

"F-Father…" he coughed. "He…tried to get me to go back to him, and…I refused again…but then he said…"

"What? What did he say?" I urged Daisuke.

"He said he'd do anything to get us back to him," he whispered. "I'm scared of what he'll do to me. Of what he'll do to _you. _He told me he'd had people following us to see what we were 'up to'. So he'll probably to something to each of us that will really hit home…"

I swore under my breath. "That old sack…" I muttered. "Why can't he just leave us alone?"

"Uhm…S…Syaoran-kun…?"

I looked over at Sakura, who was watching us nervously. Crap. What was I supposed to tell her?

"I…uh…I think I'll go back…to my room. Good night…"

She stepped gracefully away from the stool, and toward the door. But before she could get away, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to me, meeting her lips briefly.

Her big emerald eyes shone as they stared up into mine.

"I didn't really get to finish. I'm sorry for hurting you. And I'm sorry that I won't give up on you." I shot her a little smile. "I'll run that pussy-er, cat, Ayumu into the ground. Trust me." She opened her mouth to say something, but I shoved her out the door before she could do so.

Daisuke blinked. "Wow."

I had stopped being mad a couple of hours ago; I decided to go for it with everything I had instead of sulking around all the time.

"Yeah…" I stared after her for a moment, then turned back to Daisuke. "So about Dad…"

"What do we do?" Daisuke asked worriedly.

I sighed. "We wait, I guess."

* * *

'Wait' wasn't exactly the right word. Because that night, after my first rehearsal for the show, the horrible surprise arrived.

I walked back to the room wearily. So much had happened that day. Too much.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

"…Sakura…?" I called out hesitantly. I walked in further, to see Sakura asleep on her bed with the TV on. I sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and watched her. Okay. Yes. I'm creepy. Deal with it.

I brushed a hair out of her face, and she squeaked. Her eyes opened in surprise, and I leapt back as fast I could.

"Syaoran-kun…?" she said blankly.

"Guhh…I was…just…" The heat rose to my face as I sputtered nonsense.

Sakura burst out laughing. "You sure are creepy, neh?"

"H-hey!" I protested. "You're just an-old lady!"

"What? I am NOT an old lady! I'm only two years older than you, you loser!" she shot back, though she was still giggling a little.

I stuck my tongue out, smirking.

"Well then-I guess this old lady needs to babysit you, hmm?" she hissed, matching my smirk as she messed up my hair.

"Babysit!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Well then, this kid is a frikkin' sasquatch!" I put my hands firmly on her waist and lifted her into the air. She let out a little 'eep' and gripped my hair tighter. "Ouch-that hurts! What, don't you trust me, granny!"

The door creaked behind me, and I turned to see Ayumu standing in the doorway. Oh yeah, I didn't close the door.

"So…what's going on here?" he asked. We just stood there stupidly with our mouths hanging open.

The girl behind him pushed-wait, the girl behind him?

She had long black hair and dark eyes, donning Chinese clothes.

"How about, what's going on over _there?_" I asked, grinning. "Coming to tell Sakura that you no longer love her and your running away with some weird Chinese girl?"

Ayumu glared at me. "No. In fact, this girl came asking for you."

My eyes narrowed instantly, and I knew that Father had sent her.

"I don't want her," I said coldly. "Take her back."

He opened his mouth to say something, but the girl cut him off.

"My name is Li Meiling," she introduced herself, bowing. "And I am Syaoran-sama's fiancée."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! ^^ Please review~~~**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Woot! I wrote this chapter on my very own computer. Well, I didn't buy it or anything, but it's in my room and I feel special. XD It doesn't have internet, though. And it only has Windows 98. But that's okay. My dad was getting fed up with having to wait for me to finish writing before being able to use the fast computer. XD Hey, it might not be much, but it has Word, and that's all I need! XD **

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

So. My father had been nosing around so deep as to find out about Sakura, and countered my actions by sending me a fiancée.

I glowered at the girl, Meiling.

"You are not wanted here. Please go back to Hong Kong and tell Father I don't want you," I instructed coldly. "Or at least, get out of my sight right now."

Meiling studied Sakura and I. "May I ask why you are holding her so?"

I blushed a little, and Sakura squirmed in my arms. I gently and slowly set her back down on the ground.

"May I ask if you're seeing this woman?" Meiling continued, keeping her apathetic look.

"He certainly is not!" Ayumu stepped in suddenly. "Sakura is my own fiancée!"

"How disgraceful to be doing such things with an engaged woman," Meiling remarked.

I blushed a little bit darker. "What do you mean, 'such things'?"

Suddenly, the girl's stone face cracked into a smile. "You are quite cute when you're flustered, Syaoran-sama," she told me. "I will enjoy being your wife."

"My wife? Over my dead body," I growled.

Meiling smirked. "That's how all love stories start, Syaoran-sama."

Ignoring her last comment, I asked, "What did Father…send for Daisuke?"

She shook her head. "Forgive me; I don't know." She bowed. "Please excuse me; I am going to retire to my own room now."

"Please do," I spat.

After Meiling and Ayumu left, Sakura asked, "So…what was that all about, exactly?"

Crap. I didn't know how to describe it to her. I couldn't tell her about the Li Corporation.

"Father is…" I racked my brain for the right words "Very…strict…and ruthless."

She was quiet for a moment. "Uhm…so, then…maybe I should move to a different room for the rest of the stay…? So then Meiling-san can move in here with you."

"Definitely not," I protested. "I don't want her anywhere near me."

"But…it's still…unfair to Ayumu-kun," she stated quietly.

I snorted. "I couldn't care less about that homo. Especially when it comes to you."

I saw her blush and smile to herself; she was clearly touched. I smiled as well. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to pull her away from Ayumu.

* * *

**_Eriol's Point of View_**

After hearing about Syaoran's fiancée from Hong Kong, I immediately rushed to Kaho's room.

"Kaho-san!" I called out to her. She looked up and blinked. "Syaoran-kun…apparently he has a fiancée!"

Kaho stood up straight, alarmed. "A fiancée?" Her eyes narrowed as she thought over the situation. And after a moment, to my surprise, she smiled. "Actually, this could work to our advantage."

"How?" I asked.

"It could help Sakura-chan be true to her feelings for Syaoran-kun. After some drama, it could all work out the way it's supposed to," she explained.

"Well, I guess I'll trust your crazy thinking," I said with a chuckle.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I woke up the next morning thinking about my wedding. I'd had a dream that night that I was at my wedding, with Ayumu staring lovingly into my eyes. However, just before I could say 'I do' a masked man swept me away from the altar. In an instant, I'd known he was the one. I lifted the mask carefully to see Syaoran, and we're suddenly flying to Hawaii in a plane that said 'just married'. As soon as I'd woken up, I burst out laughing at who retarded the dream was.

I got out of bed and stretched. I noticed Syaoran was nowhere to be found in the room.

I thought about how no matter what happened to us, we ended up laughing at one another. I smiled to myself at the thought of it; it was like neither of us could stay upset at the other for very long.

I noticed a note taped to the door. I ripped it off; it was from Syaoran. It said he was going to breakfast…with Meiling.

I felt a pang of sudden anger. I snatched up my phone and called Ayumu to ask him to go to breakfast with me, almost in retaliation.

As we stepped into the elevator, I decided on a whim that I was going to judge how I felt around Ayumu and how I felt around Syaoran.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I was reluctantly sitting at a breakfast table with my 'fiancée', Meiling, to discuss my father.

"So," Meiling started, "you don't seem to be the tyrant I've heard you are; more like the ruthless businessman that your father wants you to be." She sounded impressed.

"You must realize that I _thoroughly dislike_ you, and feel no need to show you my true self."

After staring at me creepily for a while, she asked, "Do you hate your father?"

I nodded tightly to her.

Meiling sighed. "The only reason Li-sama is trying so hard to get you and Daisuke-sama back is because he loves you so much."

I scoffed loudly. "My brother and I are only political assets to _'Otou-sama'_," I said mockingly. "There's no love between myself and my father. Daisuke and I wanted to live our own lives, not be the Li Corporation's toys. So we fled to Japan to be free."

Meiling smiled again. Ugh. "I like that you're so self-sufficient." She stood, preparing to leave.

I stood, as well. "I dislike that you're so creepy. And you're paying for the bill," I added with one last glare before leaving the restaurant coolly. (But I could still feel her smiling to my back…*shudder*)

I wouldn't be surprised if Meiling was, like, an android that my father sent to convince us to go back to Hong Kong. He'd stoop even lower than that, I'd bet.

Lost in thought, I bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry." I looked down to see Sakura. And when I looked over, I saw Ayumu standing beside her. I frowned. "You're still letting this creep hang around you?"

"I'm surprised she hasn't called for a restraining order against you," Ayumu spat back almost immediately.

I snorted. "Have you been rehearsing comebacks for when you talk to me?"

He blushed. "No! I don't need to because I'm of a higher intelligence than you," he said proudly.

I cocked an eyebrow. "That sounds a lot better when you say it to the mirror, doesn't it?"

He flushed again, and I laughed.

"Congratulations! You've avoided my anger with your stupidity, so I'll let your annoying ass go this time." I patted him on the shoulder.

As I walked away, I noticed Sakura was giving me a look. Like she was trying to tell me something, send me a telepathic message or whatever.

I got back to the room and noticed a note on the door underneath mine. It said, _'Meet me in the garden at noon.' _I smiled. So this was what the creepy staring was about. She really wanted me to come back here and see the note in time. I chuckled to myself. Maybe she was finally coming to her senses.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

My mind was divided as I sat with Ayumu. One part was dead set on paying attention to Ayumu, and the other was thinking about my meeting with Syaoran soon. I casually glanced at the clock; eleven fifty. In ten minutes, I was due to the garden to see him.

There, I would decide for sure whom I…liked more.

So a few more minutes went by and I found words to describe how I felt when I was with Ayumu.

_I can laugh freely, and talk about people and memories, and discuss problems. I can stare at him and never get tired of it. His long hair and pale complexion makes him look like an angel, and I feel light when I'm around him. I don't feel embarrassed or self-conscious. _

I little smile tugged at the corner of my mouth; it was like I was writing an essay!

I jumped when the clock chimed.

"Sorry, Ayumu-kun, I have to go now. I'll…talk to you later!" I told him, standing and brushing off my clothes.

Ayumu got up as well. "Do you want me to take you…wherever?" he offered.

I shook my head, smiling. "No, thanks. This I have to do on my own."

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Syaoran asked; I detected a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

My lips curved into a smile. "I just wanted to talk."

He blinked at me, confused, but shrugged. "Okay, then…"

We walked along the now familiar path, silent at first. I was starting to feel a little bit uneasy myself.

"So, uhm-gah!"

I tripped over a root that was hanging over the walkway, and lost my balance. But before I could fall flat on my face, Syaoran's arms wrapped around me, protecting me. Warmth instantly enveloped me, and I felt safe and comfy in his arms. I looked up at him with a grin. "Thanks."

He smirked. "You're the teacher, aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"

And so the playful bickering started again, and that was when I realized that I couldn't choose between Ayumu and Syaoran by putting how I felt around each.

Because there were no words to describe how I felt around Syaoran.

How about safe? Happy? Playful? Fulfilled?

None of these words did my feelings justice.

How could I have resisted for so long? How could I have blocked out these amazing emotions when I could have been basking in them for so long? I'm such a ditz.

I tugged on Syaoran's sleeve; he looked down questioningly. I beamed at him full force. He went a little pink, and a smile played on his lips.

I pulled his face down by the collar of his shirt, and touched my lips to his. After a moment, moved my mouth away and stared into his amber eyes.

"Thank you," I murmured.

He comprehended the situation for a few seconds, and after realizing what I meant, he grinned cheekily. "Any time. Really."

I giggled and pulled my hands away from his shirt. "Now there's something I have to do. But don't wait for this old lady." I stuck my tongue out at him and dashed back towards the building.

Clashing emotions raged inside me: happiness, embarrassment, giddiness, and I felt weightless. But also, I felt sadness and fear crawling up my spine from what I was about to do. However, I needed to do it. Desperately. After what I'd just done, it could NOT be put off.

I searched for about five minutes, and finally, I found Ayumu talking to some kids from the school.

"Ayumu-kun…" I called, my voice cracking. He looked up, smiling. I took a deep breath and stood up straight, making sure my voice would come across loud and clear.

"I'd like to break off our engagement."

* * *

**Oooh! Are you happy? :D Sakura's finally come around! I know this chapter was scattered with so many different POV changes, but I think I got the message across. XD Please review! The story is almost finished — only a couple of chapters left! (I think! XD) (I hope you all don't hate Sakura! XD)**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19 **_

**Hey guys! A pretty quick update, if I do say so myself! (Well, it would have been...but my computer screwed up and I couldn't transfer the files! T-T Now, I put them on floppy discs! XD Woohoo, retro!) But, meh, it's kind of short…ah, well! The demon's been expelled from Ayumu, but anger turns into evil! (XD That's kind of going overboard for what happens…) PLEASE REVIEW ! :D**

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

Ayumu stared at me blankly.

"…What?"

I swallowed hard. "I'm breaking off our engagement."

His eyes narrowed. "Is this a joke? It's not funny," he seethed.

My stomach flipped as I shook my head. "It's not a joke…"

Ayumu stared back at me with a twisted face. I gulped as a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. A moment passed; no one moved.

"I can't believe you," he hissed through grit teeth.

He raised his hand, and I knew he was going to hit me. I flinched as his arm swung down.

I opened my eyes when I felt no pain. Eriol was holding Ayumu's arm, glaring at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice dripping with acid. "You scum. Hitting your fiancée – oops, you're _ex-_fiancée," he taunted darkly.

I tried to warn Eriol, but it was too late. Ayumu growled and kicked Eriol's stomach. His glasses slid down his nose, and he reset himself quickly. For a second I thought he wasn't going to do anything, but he suddenly rose his own arm and hit Ayumu hard in the face.

Ayumu fell, hitting the ground with a thud. Blood trickled from his mouth.

"I'm…so, so sorry, Ayumu-kun," I told him. "I really hope you can forgive me, and we can still be best friends. But…wouldn't it be better this way anyway?" Ayumu glowered at me. "How would you feel, marrying me when you knew I loved Syaoran-kun?"

His eyes widened.

"…Why?"

I sighed. "I love you, Ayumu-kun, I really do. But…not in the same way I love Syaoran-kun."

"…Why did you wait until now?" he asked.

"I've been lying to myself for a long time – too long," I sighed again.

"…And why is he so much better than I am?"

"There're no reasons for falling in love. There isn't any better quality or something that convinces you to fall in love. It just happens. No one can stop it." My gaze softened.

After giving me one last look, Ayumu got off the ground, brushed himself off and walked back into the hotel without saying a word.

"…That was hard," I muttered. I looked up at Eriol and smiled. "Thank you."

"He's not worth your time if he was gonna hit you when he knew it as coming," Eriol said, winking at me. "You're too good for him."

I winked back. "I know, right?"

He chuckled. "So, you finally realize you like Syaoran-kun?"

I went a little pink. "You're probably gonna tease me about it, huh?"

"Well, I'll mostly pick on Syaoran-kun. Sometimes you, but…yeah." He grinned.

"Yeah, then I guess I'll just fail you," I sighed dramatically, and he chuckled again.

"So…does it feel good to know Ayumu's off your chest?" he asked suddenly.

I sighed. "It…hurts, but yeah. I never would have been able to pull of getting married to him. I knew…right from the beginning, I knew that he wasn't the one," I explained, smiling sadly.

"Oh, crap, chick talk," Eriol muttered.

I gave him a look. "Well, what about Tomoyo-chan, hmm?"

He smirked. "Yeah. She digs me."

I burst out laughing. "I bet she does!"

"Hey, why are you laughing?"

So, that was when I _really _discovered how great a guy Eriol was. And how perfect he was for Tomoyo, too!

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I couldn't help the grin on my face as I walked to rehearsal. Sakura had kissed me willingly. So did that mean she finally admitted she loved me back?

I chuckled to myself. "Stupid old lady."

But then there was still that parasite, Meiling, to take care of. She just did not want to go back to Hong Kong! Even though no one wanted her here! Dumb broad! Oh, and then, of course, Ayumu.

"Looks like you're in a good mood today, Syaoran," Yamazaki remarked after I closed the door. "What's with the stupid grin?"

"Something _real _good just happened to me," I told him, smiling.

He snorted. "You're creepy when you're happy!"

I hit him on the back of the head. "Shut up, man! You're just crazy!"

"Well, I have a girlfriend," he said, sticking his tongue out as he grabbed a microphone.

"Well, I think I have one now, too," I replied, grabbing the one next to his. I blinked.

At the same time, Yamazaki and I both looked up and said, "You have a girlfriend?"

I started laughing, and he cracked up, too. Samurakami just shrugged to Chikafuji, who strummed his guitar strings harshly to shut us up.

"C'mon, guys, lets practice!" he urged. "I'm getting stoked for the concert!"

"Aww, are you gonna stay awake all night, giggling and thinking of it?" Eriol chirped as he entered the room, smirking.

Chikafuji grinned back. "Like Christmas Eve, dude!"

We all laughed and got into our positions; as we were doing so, Daisuke and the bass guitarist, the guy with bleached hair, Satoshi, came in and got set up as well.

Chikafuji was lead guitarist, Satoshi at the bass, while Samurakami sat at the back playing the drums. Daisuke, Eriol and Yamazaki were all singers, and I was the lead singer.

I counted us in, and we started. I must admit, we sounded pretty awesome. We were definitely ready for the concert the next night.

The door creaked open as we were wrapping up. I looked up to see Meiling standing there quietly.

"What do you want?" I asked her icily.

"If you are finished, I would like to talk to you," she said.

I stood up straight. "So talk."

She glanced at my band mates, specifically at Daisuke.

She bowed. "Good evening, Daisuke-sama."

He turned away like she wasn't there.

Meiling looked back to me. "I would like to talk to you alone."

I rolled my eyes. "Women and their needs. I'll see you later, guys." They waved me off, confused.

"Why are you even still here?" I asked her when we were out of the room.

"Because, I wish to become your wife."

"I don't care."

And so, it went like this, in a nutshell – go away, no, I hate you, I love you, blah blah blah. But it all added up to one unexpected thing.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

I flicked off the TV in my room after seeing the time. Eriol told me they would be finished practicing about now.

_And even if they aren't, _I thought to myself, _maybe_ _I can hear Syaoran singing. _I slipped on my shoes and padded over to the elevator.

"Sakura-chan, matte!" Tomoyo called. I held the doors open for her. "So where are you going?"

I smiled. "To see Syaoran-kun."

"So you finally did it, huh?" Tomoyo sighed in relief. "I swear, you're a sheep – you pulled the frikkin' wool over your own eyes!"

I would have said something back, but I was too giddy. I had gotten over Ayumu very quickly, but it felt like I'd gotten over him as soon as I met Syaoran. I know it seems insensitive, but hey, what can you do?

I had been on Cloud Nine all day since I kissed Syaoran. But one moment made that cloud turn grey and pour rain – cold, hard rain.

Tomoyo and I had turned the corner to see Syaoran kissing Meiling.

* * *

**Gasp! Bad Syaoran! What's your excuse this time, punk? XD Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

**So! Here is another exciting(?) chapter of The New Teacher! :D Who has all it's readers and reviewers to thank for it's survival. :3 You know, NT is nearing it's one year anniversary? Yep! X3 I posted it December 17****th****, 2008! Wow, it's lasted so long…it's been alive for a year and I only have 20 chapters? XD GoT has 25, and it didn't even take me a year! So I'll have to try and post a chapter on the 17****th****, and maybe one on Christmas, like I did with GoT…oh man, I'm comparing everything to GoT! XD Ahh…fond memories…X3 I'll have to read that over, huh? Wow. I sure am rambling a lot this time…well, thanks to everyone that had enough patience to read this! I'm surprised that I thought of something (slightly) interesting to write about...heheh. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter! (And if you don't what GoT is, it stands for Guardians of Tomoeda, my very first fan fiction. :3 Yup. Those were the good old days!)**

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

So…Meiling turned out to be a good kisser. But…everyone from Hong Kong is a great kisser! So there…

But I was still quite disgusted. I tried to push her away (harshly) but there's another common trait in Hong Kong when you come from a good family – martial arts.

She gripped my forearm and squeezed it in a certain way that would make anyone cry for mommy. I grunted, and relaxed my arm. She let go, and twined her fingers in mine. This could also be turned into a powerful martial arts move. By twisting my wrist and bending my fingers, I would be at her mercy.

But I took the chance anyway. Seriously, have you ever been kissed by someone you just met? That you don't even like? Blegh.

I crunched down on her lip, and she moaned and retreated. I smirked, and grabbed her arms, turning her back to me and holding her there. Now it was _my _turn for the kung fu.

Someone whimpered, and it took me a while to realize it wasn't Meiling. Slowly, I turned my head to see Sakura and Tomoyo staring at me in horror.

My eyes fixed on Sakura. Her eyes were wide and glazed, and she was gripping the wall like it was life support, her knuckles turning white. My mouth hung open. How could I say anything when she was paralyzing me with that stare?

I realized that Meiling and mine's little kung fu battle in our minds could have been easily misread from a third party. The whole thing with the hands, the moaning, and then now it looked like I was hugging her or something.

I quickly released my hold on the Chinese girl, not taking my eyes away from my teacher.

"Sakura…" I managed to choke, outstretching my hand.

She backed away, her eyebrows coming together as the tears spilled over her eyelashes. So was she mad or sad?

When I didn't move my hand, she slapped it away with a hiss of disgust, and turned sharply on her heel. She rushed away, back into the elevator from which she'd come.

I watched helplessly as she nearly crushed Tomoyo in the doors after pressing the door close button aggressively many times. The whole time, she was glaring at me.

"Sakura!" I called out again as the doors closed. She ignored me, of course. I punched the wall, leaving a dent. I swore loudly again and again.

I tore my gaze from the wall to Meiling. She was the cause of all this.

"You just ruined my life," I hissed.

She remained apathetic. "I'm sorry, but I won't give you up that easily."

"Give me up? You're retarded!" I spat back. "How can you _give me up _if I've hated you from the moment I laid eyes on you?"

She didn't say anything, only slightly bowed.

Eriol stepped out of the practice room, his eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

"This woman is going to be deported, is what's going on," I seethed, the blood pounding loudly in my ears. I smashed the elevator button, but, as it's done before, it didn't come fast enough. So I stormed up the stairs, leaving my friend and the Chinese cow in the hall.

I ran straight up to our room, and didn't even bother knocking before opening the door. It was my room, too!

She was sitting on the bed, her eyes a little red. She glared at me.

"Sakura, you have to understand," I began cautiously.

"No, you have to understand!" she said loudly.

"Understand what? What you saw with me and Meiling wasn't what you think!" I urged.

Sakura held her hands up, shaking her head. "No! You _should _be kissing other girls after you tell met that you love me!" she hissed sarcastically.

I was starting to get angry. "You can't just throw that out there!"

"But you can kiss Meiling?"

I snapped. "Suck it up!" I roared, and she fell quiet. "I had to watch you get all lovey-dovey with Ayumu! And you can't take seeing me kiss Meiling once? How fair is that?"

With that, Sakura leapt off the bed and headed over to the door. But I wasn't going to let her go that easily. I grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"So what do you have to say to that?" I shouted.

She whipped around, her eyes redder and puffy. "I broke off my engagement with Ayumu-kun!"

My eyes widened, and my grip loosened on her arm. "You…"

"That's right, you jerk!" She tore her arm away from me and ran out of the room.

I was really surprised. She really did that?

I flopped down on my bed. "Well…I guess she'd have to, considering what she told me earlier…" I laid back and covered my face with my hands.

Meiling was so stupid. Now I had even more reason to hate her. I hated her so much more now. She'd totally ruined my chances with Sakura – right after she'd come to her senses!

But when I thought hard about it, the only reason Meiling was here was because of my father. Father was actually the real reason behind it.

My eyes narrowed, and I looked over at my phone.

Meiling was a problem. A problem that desperately needed to be taken care of. And so I'd take the chance.

I decided to call my father.

I just stared at the phone for a while, thinking it over. Finally, I started to punch in his number. The ringing seemed to take a lifetime. I was beginning to think he wasn't going to pick up. But then I heard a beep.

"Hello?" the deep voice answered.

My eyes narrowed and seemed to glare at nothing. The anger was just welling up inside of me. I wanted to lash out right away.

"Good evening," I replied, straining to keep my voice contained. "Father."

There was a silence. I didn't know what to expect.

"…Syaoran-san…?" he asked.

"Yes," I told him, my fist shaking.

"What…?"

"My main reason is Li Meiling," I said.

"Ah, your fiancée."

"Please send a plane for her. She is not wanted here," I nearly spat.

"I'm afraid I can't," he responded, sounding a little satisfied.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it's going to happen. She can't stay here."

"And why not?"

"Technically she can stay if she wants to. But she will never be my wife."

"Yes, she will," he said, his tone of voice nearing a command. "I have carefully selected her to be your wife. She is perfect for you."

I grit my teeth. Just hearing his voice was pissing me off.

"No," I whispered, not wanting to shout.

"Yes." I could tell he was doing the same.

_She's perfect for me, huh? _

Perfect? Now that brings a name to mind.

I smiled, warmly inviting the thought.

"I'm afraid you're quite wrong when you say Meiling is perfect for me," I told him. "Because I've already found that person."

After a moment, he laughed. "Don't tell me you believe in the nonsense you people call love?"

'You people?' What are you, an alien? "I'm sorry, but I do. And I can't help but feel sorry for you because you don't." I was starting to lose it now.

"Have your flings, if you wish. I did the same. But please remember that Meiling is your wife, okay? Then that's fine."

My clenched fist was starting to shake. "A _fling? _Sakura?" I laughed dryly. "You must be insane."

He sighed on the other line. "Oh dear…this will have to be solved another way, won't it?"

"NO!" I was shouting now. How dare he dismiss Sakura so easily? "THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE IT IS BY YOU STAYING THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, MY BROTHER AND MY FRIENDS!"

I whipped the phone onto the bed, and it bounced it off, crashing into the wall. I didn't know if it was broken, and I didn't care. My life was _mine, _not my dad's or anybody else's!

The phone rang, and I knew it was Father. I ripped it off the ground and turned it off, my blood boiling. It wasn't enough that I hadn't made him take back Meiling, or that I even had to listen to his horrifying voice and respond to it, but then he calls Sakura a fling?

So now, things were screwed up between Sakura and I, and now my dad would find some way to terrorize me even more. He'd probably hunt me down, and let's not forget about dear old Daisuke.

After thinking things through again angrily, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over me. I threw my shirt on the floor and lay face down on the bed, falling into a deep but light sleep.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

Tomoyo rubbed my back comfortingly. "Sakura-chan…it's okay…Syaoran-kun didn't mean to do that, I'm sure."

I rubbed my eyes again; they were sore now from rubbing them every few seconds. But I couldn't help it, the tears wouldn't stop.

"I know I'm overreacting…I do…but…I just don't know what to think anymore," I whimpered, shaking my head.

Tomoyo smiled gently at me. "I do. You have to trust Syaoran-kun. I, for one, am completely certain he would never do something like that on purpose. You're just jumping to conclusions."

I looked up at my friend, my eyes scrunching as more tears threatened to race down my cheeks. With one last whimper, I threw my arms around her and buried my face in her shoulder.

A while later, I went back up to the room. I hoped Syaoran wasn't there, because I looked terrible. My eyes were even puffier than before, and redder, and now my face would be red as well because of all the rubbing.

I was happy to see that Syaoran was sound asleep in his bed. I sighed. _Why can't you be as innocent as you look when you're sleeping? _

My eyelids were heavy and sore, and watching Syaoran sleep made me even more tired. I quickly washed up and changed.

As I got under the covers, I realized for the first time that our trip was near its end. Tomorrow was the concert, and I think the day after that was our last day in Kyoto. All the time in Tokyo felt like a dream, so far away…

But my thoughts were cut off, as I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

**Lol, now we can soon go back to the real setting of the story – school! XD Heheh, more than half of the story so far has taken place in Kyoto! XD And I think there might be more than just 'a couple' of chapters left of this story…XD I think it might be longer than GoT, but who knows? Maybe I can squeeze it all into five chapters. But it'll be okay if it ends, there will PLENTY of other CCS fics to come. X3 Well anyways, review, please! :3 Next chapter is the exciting concert! X3 Yaayy!**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 21**_

**SO! HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THE NEW TEACHER! :D On this day (17/12) last year, I published The New Teacher! And it's still going! I told you I'd post on the 17th, didn't I? Yeah, I forgot too. XD Luckily, I stayed home sick today, and I'm not dying like yesterday and Tuesday, so I had lots of time to write it. :) Next chapter will probably be out on Christmas. Yay. Christmas. :) I'll have lots of time to write the next two weeks…I'm off school…I need a pass time until Christmas! :D YAY! CHRISTMAS! I'm a very festive person…eheh…OH CRAP! I need to finish my Christmas SHOPPING! XD**

**Oh! And before you read this chapter, or at least before you read Sakura's PoV, LISTEN TO THIS SONG.**

(youtube) .com/watch?v=Xsp3_a-PMTw

**You might have to type in youtube yourself...XD**

**You will understand the chapter so much better!**

**Well anyways…ENJOY THE NEW TEACHER'S BIRTHDAY!**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

The bar had been turned into a concert hall, with a stage, lights, and speakers everywhere. People were filing in excitedly, waiting for the show to start.

I sat backstage with my band, Kero and Yue. They were opening the show for us.

"So how are things going with Sakura-chan?" Yue asked, looking over his 'script' again.

I put my head in my hands. "She's been avoiding me all day. When I woke up, she was already gone, the bed was made and everything. And then I saw her in the halls, and she pretended not to see me and ran away." I sighed. "This sucks. She totally hates me now."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you," Kero said.

"She has every reason to," I mumbled, shaking my head.

"Don't talk about Sakura-chan like that," he snapped. "She's not so shallow that she would fall out of love just like that."

I blinked, then smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"Of course I am."

Yue laughed. "Either way, I'm sure things will be sorted out soon. For now, focus on the concert. Come on, Cerberus." He flipped his hair over his shoulder, and Kero walked up the steps with him onto the stage. Screaming instantly started, and I'm sure fainting ensued. They had to wait a few minutes before they could start talking.

"Hello Kyoto!" Kero screamed.

"And hello to everyone from Tomoeda high!" Yue added, slinging his arm across his partner's shoulder.

"Are you all ready for an amazing performance?" Kero asked, pointing to the crowd. They all roared again, jumping up and down.

While they continued getting the audience pumped up, I peeked out the door. I scanned the mass of people, looking for Sakura. My heart skipped a beat when I finally spotted her – and then twisted when I saw Ayumu beside her. I gripped the doorframe, grinding my teeth. What were they talking about?

I walked back over to the band, frowning. Was Ayumu just bugging her? Or she did she go back to him because she thought I was cheating on her…?

I shook my head when I heard Kero and Yue calling for us. The guys all raced onto the stage, taking their positions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, singing Super Massive Black Hole, made famous by Muse, please welcome Smoke on Fire!" Yue introduced, slowly leaving the stage.

When the music started, I walked on calmly after them. That's when the screaming started; everyone threw their hands up. A smirk tugged at my mouth; I'm just that popular, huh?

I grabbed my mic, looking directly at Sakura.

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

"Ayumu-kun, I've made up my mind. I'm not getting back together with you," I told him, shaking my head.

"But Sakura-chan…I thought he was seeing that Chinese girl?" he protested, grabbing my wrist. I wiggled my way out of his grasp.

"Now, now. Don't be rude. The music is starting." Kaho's voice was annoyed (by Ayumu, obviously) and we instantly obeyed. I turned my attention to the stage.

I'll admit it – Syaoran looked totally hot in his sleeveless, skin-tight shirt. He gripped the microphone and started singing.

_**Ooh baby, don't you know I suffer?**_

_**Ooh baby, can you hear me moan?**_

_**You caught me under false pretenses.**_

_**How long before you let me go?**_

That third line struck me – him and Meiling kissing blew through my mind. I blushed a little bit, and looked back up at the stage.

**_Oooooh—ooooooh—ayaaaa,_**

**_You set my soul alight._**

That was when I realized he was staring directly at me. My face turned a bit darker.

While Syaoran continued singing the whole "ooooh" thing, Daisuke and Eriol jumped in at the same time.

**_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_**

**_And the super star sucked into the super massive,_**

**_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_**

**_And the super star sucked into the –_**

Man, the song was really getting to me. It was put together so well, and the beat was awesome. Not to mention the lead singer was amazing and the two singing in the background were pretty pro too.

**_I thought I was a fool for no one_**

**_But ooh baby I'm a fool for you!_**

**_You're the queen of the superficial_**

**_But how long before you tell the truth?_**

The chorus started again. His eyes were glued to me. It made me uncomfortable…geh…

When the chorus ended, Syaoran sang alone.

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

There was a super massive black hole in my heart. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I dashed out of the bar.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

**_Super massive black hole…_**

With that, I saw Sakura race out the door. Lucky for me, the big part of the song coming up didn't require singing. And it was about to get longer.

I turned around and pointed at the guys, and they nodded, grinning. Samurakami made a kissy face at me and I gave him the finger (while smiling) before running off the stage.

I caught up to her, and pinned her to the wall.

"Why are you avoiding me?" I whispered.

She didn't respond.

She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her face into my chest.

"I love you," I murmured into her ear.

"I love you too." She looked up and pushed her lips against mine. I folded my arms around her waist, and somehow our tongues met. I almost laughed. Who could've imagined this at the beginning of the year? Certainly not me.

I pulled away reluctantly, knowing I couldn't stretch the song out too long.

"I love you, Sakura," I said again as I walked away. She pulled me back and kissed me again quickly.

"For good luck," she told me, winking.

I grinned, and ran back up onto the stage. I gripped the pole of the mic, and sang.

**_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_**

**_And the super star sucked into the super massive_**

**_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_**

**_And the super star sucked into the super massive_**

**_Oooooh—ooooooh—ayaaaa,_**

**_You set my soul alight_**

**_Oooooh—ooooooh—ayaaaa,_**

**_You set my soul –_**

**_Super massive black hole_**

**_Super massive black hole_**

**_Super massive black hole_**

**_Super massive black hole!_**

The music stopped perfectly, and everyone immediately burst into cheers and applause. I was beaming more than I ever had before.

I held the microphone up. "Yeah!" I yelled, and everyone screamed.

When the screams died down, I held my hand out behind me, to the band. "Who loves them! Huh!" More screams.

Eriol came and snatched the mic away. "Who loves Syaoran? Huh?" More screams. He leaned on my shoulder, grinning cheekily. Daisuke came up behind me and gave me a high five, followed by props from the others.

Eriol and me provoked one last scream from the crowd; it was the loudest yet.

A few minutes later, there was a party, of course. After wiping the sweat off of me, I ran over to the bar. I picked Sakura up and spun her around.

"You were awesome," she told me.

"I know," I whispered back.

She giggled, and we ordered some drinks in celebration.

* * *

**Yay! I hope the part with the song wasn't too confusing…hopefully you listened to it before you read the chapter…but now the Kyoto trip is (basically) over and done with! Next stop, Tomoeda! Really, I think I made it too long…the Kyoto trip, that is…well anyways, hopefully you enjoyed the Kyoto trip! It spanned a lot more than two weeks in real life, for sure. XD And make sure to review! ;D**


	22. Chapter 22

**_The New Teacher_**

**_Chapter 22_**

**_-PLEASE READ – IMPORTANT -_**

**Hey, guys. I hope you'll all go to my profile and check out my new poll – it's about The New Teacher. The question is, _'Would The New Teacher have been better if there was no magic?' _or something along the lines of that, anyway. It's a question that's been nagging me for a long time. I think it may have been a mistake, that readers dropped off because of it. So if I get enough responses saying yes, I may write a story similar to this one, but with no magic. It wouldn't be the same, obviously, because that's boring and stupid. But the details of that will be cleared up if and when the time comes. For now, _please vote_; I beg you! Also, tell me your thoughts or questions in a review, or a PM if you want. Thanks!**

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

Sakura and I were in our room, packing up our things. We were finally going back to Tomoeda; it seemed like so much – too much – had happened during our Kyoto visit.

We both reached for the same thing, and our hands touched. She looked up at me, blushing, her eyes wide. I smirked and pushed her down onto the bed. I crawled on top of her and pushed my lips against hers. I wrapped my arm around her waist, and slid my hand up her shirt. I could feel her curves, and her smooth skin…my hand traveled further up her back, the other caressing her thigh.

She let out a breath quickly, like she had been holding it the whole time. She put her hand on my arm, stopping my hand.

"Syaoran," she whispered, a pink tinge still evident on her cheeks, "this definitely isn't the place."

I smiled mischievously and withdrew my arm, kissing her quickly once more before hopping off the bed. I offered my hand to her, but she rolled her eyes playfully and pushed herself up.

I continued to grin as I zipped up my suitcase. "I wonder what that maid is doing right now?"

Sakura let out a brief laugh, throwing her head back. "Hopefully, she moved out of the country."

"Wouldn't it be funny if she was here right now?" I peeked over to the door. It remained firmly closed. "Aww. Nobody's there."

Sakura giggled. "Yeah, as if."

When we finished packing our things, we dragged them out into the hallway, where we had a cart waiting for us. Before we started towards the elevator, I stopped and looked back into the room. I noticed Sakura had, too.

"It's like…I don't want to leave now," I said, scanning the room. The dark red comforter on the bed, the moss green carpeting, the little wooden table in the corner.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Feels kinda like home, what with everything that happened here…"

We exchanged a meaningful look, our gazes locking for a while; probably several minutes, even. The sound of a door slamming in the distance woke us up.

It was like a new and improved trance. Weird.

"Well," I said, slipping out a cigarette and lighting it, "I guess we'll get going." I rushed down the hallway, knowing Sakura would try to pull the smoke out of my mouth.

We sat in the same places on the school bus as we had on the way to Kyoto. Sakura noticed Kero and Yue outside, and ran out to say bye. I sighed and decided to follow her.

She was giving Kero a hug when I caught up with them. There lots of screaming girls around, some giving Sakura horrible glares.

"Well…nice meeting you again, brat," Kero said, smirking.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Same to you, Mister Not-Quite-A-Teddy-Bear."

He frowned, but then cracked a smile. He held out his hand, and I grasped it.

"I guess I should say thanks for your help," I told him.

"Sure. Oh, and…our manager quite liked your band's performance." He winked at me as he turned away. "I'll be sure to give you a call."

My eyes widened. Kaho _had _said something about a talent scout…was he serious? A smile tugged at my mouth. That _would_ be awesome.

"So I'll see you around, you guys!" Sakura called as she ran back over to me. She smiled. "Looks like the bus is about to leave." She grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the vehicle.

I saw Ayumu out of the corner of my eye. He was glowering in our direction. I turned my head to him and discreetly gave him the finger. He opened his mouth to yell something, but I laughed and shoved Sakura up onto the bus. We found our way back to our seat, and I flopped down with a sigh.

"And so we're finally headin' home," I chuckled.

* * *

The weekend was over in a flash, and it was time for school again. It felt weird going to school now. I was used to telling Sakura to make me a coffee while I watched TV. Ha ha.

Something felt different as I shut my locker door. I looked around; I heard whispers about a new girl. I rolled my eyes. Another annoying girl to make more annoying drama. I started over to Sakura's classroom. I pushed open the door and stepped in.

"Yo," I greeted coolly.

Sakura smirked. "Good morning, Delinquent."

I smiled and pulled out a chair. I dropped down on it roughly, and put my feet up on the desk. "So what's this I hear about a new girl?"

Sakura looked up at me excitedly. "Oh, yeah, she's supposed to be moving to my class. I don't know her name though, so it'll be a surprise for everyone."

The other students started filing into the classroom. Eriol took his seat behind me, Yamazaki sitting in the one to my left. I noticed him go pink, and looked over to see Chiharu and Rika entering the room. Chiharu waved at him, embarrassed, and he smiled back stupidly. Eriol and I suppressed laughter at our friend's love-struck state.

When everyone was finished rushing in, Sakura tapped the desk. "All right, all right, kiddies, shut up now. We're all back from Kyoto, let's get on with our lives." People smiled and chuckled; good old Kinomoto-sensei. "And as you may have heard, we're getting a new kid; a girl." A fascinated 'ahhh' went through the room. "Just a reminder to be nice!"

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance.

A smiling Terada-sensei opened the door. "I'd like to introduce you to your new class!"

A dark haired girl stepped into the classroom. She bowed and lifted her head.

My eyes widened, and then narrowed.

"Hello everyone. My name is Li Meiling." She did a little smile.

"Y-you!" Sakura stuttered, stepping back. "What're you - ?"

"I'm a student here at Tomoeda High School now, Kinomoto…sensei," Meiling explained, turning a little and bowing slightly to Sakura.

"But – why?" Sakura asked, still surprised.

The crazy lady smiled, blushing. "Well," she said with a giggle, "Li-sama wants me to keep an eye on my fiancé."

* * *

**_Sakura's Point of View_**

My eye twitched. "Keep an eye…on your _fiancé?" _I hissed.

Meiling nodded. "Who knows what kind of trouble he gets into?"

I planted one hand firmly on the desk, the other on my hip. "I do. There's no need for you here." I looked over at Syaoran; he was red-faced he was so angry.

This brought a wave of suspicion over me; Syaoran hadn't directly told me what his father did. Why would he go through so much trouble, having an arranged marriage, sending his fiancée to Japan…what exactly was his job? Was Syaoran hiding something from me…?

I shook away my doubts; it wasn't the time.

"Anyway, take an empty seat." I waved my hand to direct her to the desk. She went over and stood in front of it; she looked at it, then walked away from it. She marched right on over to the one next to Syaoran.

Oh yeah. I guess that one was vacant, too, huh.

As she was pulling out the chair, Syaoran shot his hand out to stop it. A deep rumbling sound came from his throat.

"Syaoran," I said sternly; he looked at me. "Bad dog. No." He raised an eyebrow at me, and the class snickered. I shook my head, and he slowly took his hand away from the seat.

Well. Class was certainly going to be a hell of a lot more awkward now.

My cell phone began to ring. I sighed and walked over to it.

"Hello."

"_Yo, kaijuu."_

I frowned. "What do you want, Toya?"

"_Oh, nothing."_

I pursed my lips; he couldn't just want _nothing…_

My door creaked open, and my smirking brother stepped into the room. I closed my phone and threw it onto the table. Toya walked over to me and ruffled my hair. "How's your teaching, kaijuu?" he asked mischievously.

"C'mon, Toya, I'm not six anymore!" I protested, and the class laughed.

Come to think of it, I hadn't really talked to my brother in a while.

"So which one's the delinquent here?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips as he scanned the class.

"Uhhh…"

I looked over at Syaoran automatically. I frowned; his eyes were wide with fear.

"Oi!" Toya suddenly yelled. He pointed in Syaoran's direction. "What're you doing here, you rat!"

"I-I…" Syaoran stuttered. "I-I'm not a rat…!"

"Why hasn't Kaho kicked you out yet? Argh!"

"What's this? Toya-kun's here!" Kaho flitted into the room; something told me she was waiting to be mentioned. She went over and hugged Toya.

"Eh? What did Syaoran do to you?" I asked, curious.

"He slashed my tires," Toya growled, glaring at the eighteen-year-old. "I was out with Kaho and spotted this idiot just hacking away. He also left a scratch."

I shook my head, sighing. "You're a retard, Syaoran."

"H-how was I supposed to know Mizuki-sensei knew him, or you!" he protested.

"Why were you doing it in the first place?" I snapped. He recoiled, having no answer.

_Just wait until Toya finds out about me and Syaoran…_I thought grudgingly.

'About me and Syaoran'…I shifted my weight uncomfortably as Syaoran and Toya continued bickering. It felt awkward, think about it. It felt wrong, and strange. Although it was certainly what I wanted, I knew it wasn't right. If it ever got out, I would be fired, and Syaoran expelled. The same went for Terada and Rika.

I swallowed, and exhaled deeply to clear my mind. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about it.

"Well, anyway," I announced loudly, steering Toya towards the door, "I think it's time for you to go now, Oniichan."

Toya grunted. "Fine." He turned around when he was out of the classroom. "But now that I know about that brat, I'm gonna be coming around here more often."

I sighed, knowing he was fully serious. He smirked and ruffled my hair, kissed Kaho lightly on the cheek, and then spun around and walked down the hallway, waving.

Kaho giggled. "He sure is a handful, even now."

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about it."

After school had ended and all the kids had gone home – including Syaoran – I leaned back in my chair. I was supposed to be marking papers, but I didn't feel like it right then. My mind was on what Syaoran might have been hiding from me about his family.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something glinting in the orangey light of the setting sun. I stood and walked over to it, curious. It was on the floor right around where Syaoran usually sat. I bent down and looked at it; it was a necklace, it looked like. I picked it up carefully, studying it. It was a thick circle with the Chinese character for Li engraved on it. It looked like a locket, and when I shook it, I could hear something moving the slightest bit (I was hoping I wasn't breaking it…). But I couldn't pry it open.

I stared at it for a little longer, still squatting. Then I stood up and slipped the necklace into my pocket.

* * *

**_Syaoran's Point of View_**

I still couldn't believe Toya was Sakura's brother. He was scary, man. Like, REALLY scary. Scary enough to scare me. That's scary.

Wei welcomed me when I opened the door to the big apartment. He was the only one Daisuke and I trusted enough to bring with us when we came to Japan. I smiled at him; he was really loyal, and was able to hook us up with giant condos.

The phone rang, and Wei instantly set off to get it. He came back a moment later, and handed it to me. I put it to my ear.

"_Xiao Lang."_

My blood turned cold and my brow furrowed.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked icily.

"_Oh, just letting you know that I'll be in Japan soon on a business trip…"_ He chuckled. _"That's all. Ta ta."_

There was click, and then a long beep. My eyes widened. Wei slipped the phone out of my fingers as I comprehended the situation.

I knew he'd planned it. He knew I'd found something that made me happy, and now he was coming to destroy it personally…or impersonally, knowing him. He wanted to watch, and not lift a finger, as he crushed my life in Tomoeda.

I reached for my necklace, but my hand only touched skin. I wondered only for a moment before a knock on the door caught my attention. I peered around the corner as Wei opened it.

"Syaoran-sama, your teacher's here to see you," he informed me. I blinked and went over to the door.

"Ah…hi, Syaoran," Sakura greeted. She looked around. "Nice place, and, uh, butler…" She was clearly pondering the (illegal) possibilities of how I obtained them.

"So, uh, what brings you here?" I asked.

"Oh!" She stuck her hand in her pocket and slipped it out clutching a necklace. She handed it to me. "I found this on the floor at school. I assume it's yours…"

I took it; so that's where it went. I usually didn't wear it, but with all the crap about my dad and my family, I didn't know when I might need it.

"Uhm…what's inside of it?" Sakura quipped.

I looked at her. Uh-oh. How was I supposed to answer that?

* * *

**Aha ~ I hope you liked it. Please review! And remember to vote in the poll – it's really important! And tell me your thoughts on it in that review, too! ;) Thanks!**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

**OH. MY. GOD. I'm sooo sorry for the wait for this chapter! . I don't know why it took me so long! It took forever to finish the Amber and Emerald chapter, and then I tried to do this one as quick as I could! I'm sorry! I hope this chapter will satisfy you…and please remember ****to vote in the poll on my profile page**** and ****review****, please, I beg you!**

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

I licked my lips, trying to come up with something to say. I couldn't really just come out with it…

"Syaoran?" Sakura asked, frowning at my suspicious hesitation. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

I looked down at the necklace. It was proof that I was Li Syaoran, heir to Father's company, with a seal and whatever, all the fancy crap. But Sakura can't know that…!

"I…" I started, my brain working in overdrive to come up with an excuse. "It's my…"

"Syaoran-sama," Wei called, again holding the phone.

I looked over my shoulder at the butler. "Yes, Wei?"

He held up the phone to me. "Daisuke-sama is on the phone. He wishes to speak with you."

"Daisuke…?" I mumbled before turning to grab the phone.

"_I saw on the news, Syaoran-chan, that Father is coming to Japan on a business trip…!" _my brother told me hurriedly.

I sighed. "I know…he called me."

After a moment of hesitation, he asked, _"What did he…say…?"_

I glared at the wall, imagining it was my emotionless father. "Just that he was coming to Japan on a business trip. But obviously…"

"_He means so much more than that," _Daisuke finished for me bitterly. I noticed then that he was panting heavily.

"Daisuke, what're you panting so hard for?" I asked, and some part of my mind wondered if I wanted to know…

_"Ahh—just a second—"_

"Syaoran? What's going on?" Sakura asked, cocking her head to the side, confused.

"Err…"

"Syaoran-chan!" I heard Daisuke's voice distantly, and a door slam. I blinked and looked out into hallway. Daisuke was running down the hallway, just coming out of the stairwell.

It took him a while to catch his breath.

"Why were you running so hard, you idiot?" I scolded, folding my arms across my chest.

"I had to…make sure…you were okay…" he panted, grinning at me.

I looked away, embarrassed, and ruffled his messy green hair.

"What exactly is going on here?" Sakura sounded irritated now.

Daisuke and I exchanged looks. Then we both looked back to Wei. He shrugged slightly too.

"Uhmm…" I started.

"…Fine, forget it then," Sakura said, facing the door again. "Sorry to barge in." She grabbed the doorknob.

"No, wait, Sakura!" I called after her. Crap! We're finally together—we can't start fighting now!

I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She turned around to argue. "Syaoran—"

I shut her up with a totally amazing kiss. I've said it before, but by nature, I am just a great kisser.

She groaned in protest, but quickly began enjoying it. I would've added more tongue, but the situation now was bad, and I needed to talk to Daisuke. I pulled away reluctantly, and then hugged her tightly.

"Please, just trust me," I murmured into her ear.

She sighed into my chest. "Well, I suppose so…"

My face broke out into a grin, and I laughed. I let her go, but she grabbed my ear and pulled me to her height for another quick kiss. Then she walked away coolly, giggling to herself.

I closed the door, my face a little red as my brother smirked at me. "That was interesting. I must say, I've never seen you act like that before, Onii-chan," he chuckled.

"Shut up," I muttered. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" I regretted it as soon as it came out. A shadow fell over Daisuke's face, and his aura was suddenly deathly.

"That's another reason I got here so quickly," he said, acid dripping from every word.

I swallowed, and nodded. "Go on."

"Father took her."

My eyes widened.

"I went over to her house, and no one was home. That's natural; her parents don't get home until late. But there was a note on the kitchen table. 'I wonder if you really love her? There's only one way to save her.'" His eyes, deathly slits, were nothing like I'd ever seen them. It looked like he really _did _love her.

"Do you think Sakura-sama might be in danger, too?" Wei asked, concerned.

I thought for a moment. "I don't…know. I don't think Father would pull the same thing twice…"

I had no idea what to do. He'd gotten a head start. He'd called me _after _he'd taken Daisuke's girlfriend.

Well, what did I expect? He wasn't going to call and let me know what his plans were before he did them. That's just stupid. Although it would have made my life so much easier, it was just stupid.

"What should we do?" Daisuke asked, sighing. "It makes it easier and harder that he's coming to Japan…we can talk to him directly now, but he can do things more directly to us now too…"

I narrowed my eyes. "He's never done anything directly."

"But he will do anything to get what he wants," Daisuke pointed out.

For the rest of the night, we tried to come up with ways to take Father down. But nothing was good enough. Good enough maybe for a regular dad, but not Father. He could easily crush us without batting an eye.

* * *

Eventually, we fell asleep. Wei woke us up in time for school, and I went as fast as I could. I had to see Sakura. Make sure she was okay.

By the time I got there, very few kids were on the high school grounds. There were a couple cars in the parking lot, and I recognized Sakura's Lamborghini. For a second my mind fluttered to Kero and Yue, and their talent scouts. But I shook it away as I walked silently through the halls.

Trying to calm myself, I stopped at my locker and dropped off my bag. It felt like Sakura wasn't going to be there, even though I knew she was. Like she was so far away, yet she was just down the hall.

I found myself running the rest of the way. I nearly slammed open the door, but stopped myself. I took a deep breath.

Then I heard voices. Coming from the classroom. Suspicious, I peeked in the window to see Meiling and Sakura having tea and talking calmly. I pressed my ear to the door, hoping I wouldn't be seen.

"…be married." Meiling's voice. I rolled my eyes, tired of her.

There was a small silence. "I know." Sakura sounded uncertain.

"You are…in my way," Meiling responded bluntly.

"Uhm…yes. And…I don't wish to move."

Another silence, longer this time. I slowly looked into the window. Meiling cracked a smile. "You really like Syaoran-sama. I like that."

Sakura went red. "I…not like," she said, flushing a deeper crimson. "Love."

I automatically broke into a smile at that.

"Maybe…we can be friends?" Meiling offered her hand to Sakura. Sakura hesitated, but took it, smiling back.

"Sure."

I stood up and opened the door. "Hey," I greeted.

They smiled at me. It was a little weird. Meiling glanced at Sakura, then stepped towards me. She put her hand on my shoulder, still looking back at the teacher.

"I won't give up," she warned. "He will be mine."

Sakura frowned. "I know you won't give up. But your efforts will be in vain."

Meiling smiled, and something about it seemed strange. Then again, she was strange. She kissed my cheek before leaving the classroom.

"That was weird," Sakura sighed, falling back into her chair. "I think we just called a truce…kind of."

"Right." I was so relieved she was all right. Father hadn't done anything to her…yet. "Hey." I grasped her chin lightly and turned her head to look at me. Her big, emerald eyes bore into mine. "If anything strange happens to you, anything at all, _tell me right away_," I urged.

She looked concerned, perhaps worried, but she smiled. "Plenty of weird things have already happened. But I don't need to tell you any of that, do I?" She leaned forward to meet my lips. She stroked my hair gently, and I wrapped my arm around her waist—but our kiss was cut short by the bell. She stiffened, and I tried to keep going—who cares what the school thinks?—but she pulled away, straightening her clothes. I sighed, and she caught my eye again and winked. I chuckled, shaking my head, and sat down in my seat, throwing my feet up on the desk.

"Ah, ah," Sakura cooed, frowning.

I frowned back, refusing to move my feet.

Yamazaki and Eriol walked in with a crowd of others. They laughed at what they saw.

"I thought everything here was solved?" Eriol asked, grinning.

"And yet we come back to these childish games?" Yamazaki laughed.

"Shut up," I mumbled, taking my feet away from the desk and stretching them out.

_Solved? _I thought to myself, glancing down at the necklace. _Hardly._

Nothing was solved yet. It was only the beginning.

* * *

After school, I went back to Sakura's classroom. And I was surprised to see that Meiling was there yet again. They were laughing together. Wide-eyed, I stared into the room. I shook my head a little, and then opened the door forcefully.

"Ah, Syaoran," Sakura said, smiling. "Meiling and I were just talking about a TV show Kero was on last week. It was a drama, it turns out Meiling likes it too." I turned to look at the Chinese girl; she smiled at me politely.

"I also like Kero and Yue, plain and simple," she winked at Sakura. "And I thought it was really cool that Sensei knows them."

"Oh, that's right—I can introduce you sometime." They exchanged phone numbers.

Meiling's phone beeped, and she flipped it open. She read it quickly, and then excused herself as she tucked it away in her pocket again. "Sorry, I have to go now. I'll see you later, Sensei, Syaoran-sama!"

When she was gone, I turned back to Sakura, frowning. "What is wrong with this picture?" I asked.

"I know…we got off to a bad start, but—"

"A bad start?" I snorted. "She wants to steal your boyfriend away from you—you're the _enemy_!"

Now Sakura was frowning, too. "She's not really a bad person. She's just a normal high school girl."

"I would hardly describe that girl as 'normal'," I growled. "She's only here because my father ordered her to be here."

"She really likes you, Syaoran, and yet you're so mean to her! You could be a little nicer, instead of being hung up on everything your father does," she scolded.

I grabbed her arm. "You don't know my father," I muttered darkly through grit teeth.

"I don't need to," she countered, tugging her arm away. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "He's still your dad. He can't be all that bad."

"You don't _know _him," I repeated, irritated.

She sighed. "Can we stop fighting? Please?" she asked, her gaze softening. "I'm sorry that you don't like Meiling, but I think I do. Okay?"

I sighed as well, and ran my fingers through my messy hair. "Fine," I muttered, looking away from her. "But just…be careful."

She giggled, and turned my head towards her. "I'm flattered that you're so worried about me," she murmured, and then pulled me down to her height and met my lips with hers. Her lips were still soft and seemed to fit with mine perfectly, like it was meant to be. I smiled; I guess it was.

When we pulled away, my hand slipped to her side and I grabbed her hand. We started walking out of the school together, a bit pink in the face. I tried to forget about Father and concentrate on my time with Sakura.

* * *

**Wah ~ what will Syaoran's dad do? What will Syaoran do? What will Sakura do? What will Daisuke do? ;D All answers you'll find out if you review! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

**I know, it was another long wait…and I'm sorry. ****D: But it wasn't a whole month this time—I counted and made sure! :D I hope all you readers are still willing to, well, read…and review…and vote in the poll. :$ Or at least read! …And review! And if you have time, vote in the poll? :D Eheheh. Thank you SO SO much to everyone who's been reading and reviewing with me all this time. Not much time, now, until it's all over. Yep…but anyways, it isn't the last chapter yet, and we still need reviews! ;)**

_**Tomoyo's Point of View**_

I have to admit it was quite a shock when Sakura showed up at my door with Meiling by her side. Being as they were rivals in love, I thought it would be impossible for the two of them to be real friends. But nevertheless, I went to mall with them anyway.

It was also a shock when I realized how much fun I was having with the two of them. Meiling had loosened up a lot since our trip in Kyoto, and her Japanese now sounded like she had lived here forever. By the end of the shopping excursion, it was like we were all great friends. By the end of the week, it was like we had all known each other our entire lives.

So I feel a little bad admitting that I was a tad wary of our new Chinese girlfriend. I mean…why would she suddenly come up to Sakura being all friendly and whatnot without ulterior motives involving having Syaoran for herself?

It just seemed a little off to me. But I didn't bother saying anything because I knew a) that Sakura wouldn't listen to me anyway and b) I myself didn't want to suspect Meiling of anything malicious. She was really starting to grow on me.

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

Meiling's up to something. I know it. I can feel it. Something to do with Father. I tried bringing it up with Sakura a bunch of times, but she refused to think anything bad of Meiling. Hmph. But she sure was armed and prepared to think badly of _me _when we first met. So I stopped saying anything about Meiling, period. What I couldn't stop was the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad was gonna happen to Sakura, and it was gonna be because of Meiling…

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

I sat with my elbows propped on the table in the staff room, only half-listening to the meeting. As usual, the "teacher"-librarian was droning on about stuff no one cares about, not the students nor the staff. In class, when the kids complain about her, I jump in with my own complaints. She IS the very definition of a spinster.

Kaho hit the desk with her fist to get everyone's attention. The teachers all snapped to attention, and the librarian looked a little miffed, as if the possibility that _nobody gives a damn _might just be dawning on her. Good.

"Just thought I'd let you all know that the Board of Directors will be visiting our school over the course of the week. I'll let you decide whether or not you want to be frightened." She winked at us, her pink lips curving into a smile that was seemingly contagious. "They'll be evaluating the school in its entirety, cleanliness, content, behaviour, people, et cetera. Be ready," she let off the last word in a songlike tone, and dismissed the meeting.

I decided that I should maybe give Tomoyo a quick visit to see if she had a nice outfit that could possibly impress the Board of Directors…

* * *

A short drive in my Lamborghini later, I was in my best friend's driveway. I skipped up the stone steps to her front door, inhaling the sweet perfume of the flowers in her front garden, and her lush green lawn. I let myself in, as I always do, kicking my flats off and traipsing into her kitchen. I looked around, a little stunned that she hadn't come running to greet me with a giant hug. Not wanting to yell out in case there was a robber or something (I've been a little paranoid since my talk with Syaoran and Daisuke in his apartment), I crept around the house, first checking the bedroom, the bathroom, and then the living room.

Stepping from the tile in the hall to the living room, my foot sank in the plush carpet as I quietly looked around. When my eyes landed on the couch, I literally tripped over my feet and took a face plant. I quickly sat up, rubbing my nose.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo gasped, going red in the face as she pushed Eriol off of her.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eriol cleared his throat. "Well, Sakura, when a man and a woman love each other—"

"Eriol!" Tomoyo slapped his shoulder, and he laughed loudly. I grinned, as well.

"Sakura—" Tomoyo started, but I held up my hands, cutting her off.

"It's okay, it's okay," I said breezily. "I saw it coming, it's all good."

"Right…" She straightened her dress.

"Well, to the point, then. Do you have any clothes that are presentable to the Board of Directors? They're gonna be around, so I wanted to make a good impression—"

"Clothes?" Tomoyo nearly shrieked, a new excitement glittering in her eyes. "Of course I've got clothes for you, Sakky-chan, always!" She jumped up and grabbed my wrist, also dragging Eriol along with her. We went upstairs and she dove into a closet, coming out with a big bag of clothing.

"Remember, Tomoyo-chan," I warned nervously, glancing at the bag, "it has to be something that will impress the Board of Directors…"

She smiled, her eyes glinting. "Ohohohohoho…"

* * *

I straightened everything in the classroom so it looked like I was more organized than I actually am. Then I straightened my outfit, handmade by Tomoyo. It was a short-sleeved, button-up blouse with a dark brown vest and a matching, slightly frilly skirt that stopped just above my knees. She had wanted desperately for me to wear stilettos, but I only wore my flats in fear of breaking of my ankles.

The door opened and Syaoran walked in. "What's up, Sakura?" he greeted, looking around the room. "Something special happening? You seem to have actually put some effort into your life." He winked playfully at me, and I smirked.

"Thank you, I love you too," I replied, grabbing his arm and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "And yes, actually, the Board of Directors are coming to 'evaluate' the school."

Syaoran nodded. "Evaluate the school? Maybe I should have stayed home today…"

I smiled. "As long as you don't say anything…or do anything…at all…you'll be…all right."

He rolled his eyes and put his hands on my waist, pulling me into a hug. He rested his forehead on mine, and I was able to gaze into those amber pools without unwillingly losing myself.

Just as our lips were about to touch, the bell rang and footsteps filled the halls. My hands snapped instantly to my sides and I stepped away from Syaoran, again smoothing out my clothes. Syaoran sighed dramatically and flopped down in a chair as more students filled the classroom.

The next period was a planning time for me, so I went to the staff room to see if there were any cookies left. When I got there, Kaho and some other teachers were greeting five people; two women and three men, all in snappy suits. I realized that they were the Board of Directors. Kaho noticed me, and beckoned me over.

"And this is Kinomoto-sensei," she said, introducing me. I smiled and bowed politely, and all five of them, seemingly simultaneously, returned it. After a few more minutes of talking, the 'meeting' was dismissed and everyone was free to go.

I was very disappointed to find that there were no cookies left.

"Kinomoto-san, was it?" a female voice behind me asked.

I whirled around, pasting a polite smile on my face. "Yes. May I ask your name?"

"Suzuki Yoko," she said. Her voice had a hint of snob, a dash of a big ego, and a pinch of stuck-up bi— "Pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand.

_Oh? _I thought. _Am I worthy to shake your hand?_

I took it and shook it as daintily as I could. "The pleasure is all mine, Suzuki-san."

She looked me over once more, and then turned and walked over to another teacher. I desperately wanted to stick my tongue out at her, but she wasn't the only one in the room.

I noticed another one of them walking towards me; one of the men. He had chocolatey hair that had lightened with age, and wrinkles around his eyes. He was quite tall, and his features were handsome. He was wearing a regular suit, a black jacket and tie and such. I refrained from rolling my eyes, and kept my smile in place.

"Please forgive Suzuki-san's rude behaviour. She can be quite a snob, especially in the presence of women who outclass her own beauty," he said, taking my hand and kissing it. I couldn't help the pink that spread across my cheeks. "You seem to be a fine young woman; how do you like working in this school?"

"Oh, I love it," I said, a real smile crossing my lips. "It's a lot of fun, for the staff and the students."

He smiled back at me. "I'm glad you enjoy working here." It looked like he was going to say more, but the snobbish lady called him over. "Sorry, it seems I need to take my leave now. Perhaps I'll see you again later, Kinomoto-san?" He winked at me, and I nodded.

I was really surprised that anyone so gentlemanly still walked this earth. I mean, Syaoran isn't exactly a nobleman. I giggled slightly at the thought.

The bell rang and the fantasy ended; I hurried back to my classroom.

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

After school, I waited in Sakura's classroom like I usually do. She was a bit late today, though. I figured it was because of those Board of Directors people, so I hung back and doodled on the board a little.

The door finally swung open, and I dropped the marker and looked around, a grin forming on my face.

But it instantly disappeared when I saw who stepped through the door. I'll admit I was taken aback. But I'd know that cold pair of eyes, that hair that was so like mine that it pissed me off, anytime, anywhere. Even that suit, the black coat and dress pants with the black tie that he'd worn the last time I'd seen him.

A low rumble erupted from the back of my throat.

"Why are you here?" I hissed. "_Get out!_"

A smile crossed his lips. The cold smirk I'd seen so many times in my childhood.

"Now…is that anyway to talk to your dear father, my son?" he asked. He chuckled, shaking his head in faux disappointment. "And here I thought that all those years back in Hong Kong had taught you some manners."

"_Shut up!_" I spat, clenching my fists so tight my knuckles paled. "Why are you here?"

His smirk grew bigger. "Wait for it, my dear son…"

Suddenly, it clicked in my head and my stomach dropped. "Are you one of the Board of Directors! What have you done with Sakura!"

* * *

**Ehh ~ we meet Syaoran's father at last! At an unexpected time, in an unexpected place! :D What will happen next? I won't tell you unless you review! PLEASE! And please try to vote in the poll as well. :3 Remember, it's about The New Teacher, would it have been better with no magic? Because if it is, I'll write another story similar to this one, but with no magic…no details specified yet, especially since 'YES' and 'NO' are in a tie right now! :O I'll probably let the poll run until around June/July? Maybe? Anyways, please, READ, VOTE, and REVIEW!**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter 25**_

**Oh man. This chapter would've been posted so much sooner, but I, like, lost the will to write for a few days there. :S It hasn't quite been a month since the last chapter, though, so…heheh. X) I hope you all like this chapter! Please review! (And the poll! Don't forget the POLL!) And if you're looking back at other chapters, the scene splitter dash things are all gone so the scenes are all jumbled together. :S Uhm, I'm working on it. c(;**

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

The blood pounded in my ears and a growl erupted from my throat. Even my vision seemed to be going funny; if this man had done _anything _bad to Sakura, I swear I'd kill him.

He clicked his tongue. "Dear Syaoran, you and your brother both leave the things you claim so important to you lying around where anyone can steal them." His eyes flashed, and his grin suddenly seemed so much eviler.

"_What did you do to her?_" I hissed, my eyebrows furrowing together so hard it hurt.

He chuckled darkly, shaking his head lightly. "Dear Syaoran…" he cooed.

The door opened slowly and Sakura stepped in. As she looked up, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Syaoran! You know…this man?" she asked. I couldn't help the relief that washed over me at seeing her innocent, unhurt face poke into the room.

My eyes flicked back to him. She didn't know his name. She couldn't make the connection that he was my father, or that she was in terrible danger as long as he was around.

I grunted a response that was neither yes nor no. Father's gaze was fixed on me, and it felt strange. When I finally dragged my own eyes up to meet his, he winked at me. A shiver ran down spine. Although it may seem like a simple gesture, to me it was a deadly threat.

I walked over to Sakura and opened the door, half shoving her out. I turned back to Father and stared at him icily.

"Bye," I grumbled.

He smiled, his 'laugh lines' crinkling with the movement. His whole persona screamed 'Old Prince Charming' but I knew better. _He _was the wicked queen.

"Goodbye, Syaoran," he said quietly, and I turned around quickly so he wouldn't see the drop of cold sweat race down my cheek.

"That was an abrupt leave, wasn't it?" Sakura asked, frowning. "And a little rude?"

"Since when has 'rude' ever meant anything to me?" I retorted. "I don't put up fake smiles for people I don't like."

Sakura sighed; she knew it was true.

She just didn't know how much I hated him.

I didn't tell her he was my father. If she knew, she'd be in that much more trouble.

* * *

I figured she wouldn't have any more reason to talk to him while he was there, but I caught them talking a lot in the halls. I still didn't say anything about, though…

Until I had to.

Sakura and I were walking in the mall together, and we had just finished eating.

"God, you're fat," I said, sniggering. "You ate two combos by yourself! Two large fries, and not a trace of potato left. Two huge burgers with everything on them, the only evidence a couple of seeds from the bun."

She slapped my arm. "Shut up! I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday!" She sighed, frustrated, and twirled a strand of hair between her fingers. "God, having the Board of Directors there is really stressful."

I side-glanced at her. "But you like talking to…that one guy."

"Well, yeah, but…I don't even know the guy's name! It's weird, I've never had to address him because he says the right things all the time, and he's never even brought his name up before."

I turned my gaze away from her again. "Yeah. Weird."

"Sakura-chan! Syaoran-kun!"

I looked to the left at hearing my name called by that familiar voice. Tomoyo was running towards us, Eriol walking swiftly to catch up with her.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura exclaimed as her best friend ran up and hugged her. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We just went to see a movie," Tomoyo said, giggling. I raised an eyebrow and smirked at Eriol, who coughed and looked at the ground, blushing.

We started to walk with them, and as Sakura and Tomoyo chatted happily, Eriol elbowed me.

"Have you noticed the crowd is thinning out…?" he asked, glancing around suspiciously.

I looked around us, as well. It was true—there was hardly anyone around us anymore. I frowned. "That's just…abnormal." A ball of fear was growing in my stomach—something about this screamed 'Father.'

We went into a bookstore for a few minutes, and when we came out, the silence of the mall was deafening. I stared, bewildered, at the emptiness. _No one _was left in the mall. It was just us.

I grabbed Sakura's hand and yanked her towards me, my narrowed eyes scanning for signs of Father.

"Syaoran…?" Sakura asked, confused. "This is weird."

"No kidding," I muttered, and then I heard a maniacal laugh that was abruptly cut short. I looked up to the second floor to see my father leaning against the railway, grinning maliciously. (He had clearly been embarrassed by his stupid laughter.)

"Hello, my dear son!" he called giddily. I growled.

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

I blinked, and then focused my wide eyes on the man standing above us—one of the Board of Directors! And…he had called Syaoran his son.

I looked up at him. His amber eyes were narrowed as he glared.

"Syaoran…?" I whispered. "Is that true? Is this man your father?"

With a clenched jaw, he nodded.

I was speechless—but not for long. "What…why didn't you tell me before? You could've said something—!"

He shook his head. "I didn't want to put you in more danger."

My head was spinning. So this was the man…Syaoran's dreaded, terrible father? He didn't seem so bad, though. He seemed like an okay, polite guy. He hadn't freaked me out when I was chatting with him…

I frowned. So that's why he wouldn't say anything about his name. It would tip me off.

"All right, dear Syaoran, Sakura, I'll say what I've come here to say," he started. "Sakura, I want you to stop seeing Syaoran immediately. Cut off all ties with him."

I gasped a, "What—" but he cut me off.

"I wasn't finished," he yelled irritably. "Do this, or you'll never find another job."

My eyebrows shot up and my eyes widened to a whole new level. "What?" I shrieked. "No! You can't do that—!" Could he?

He grinned. "I sure can. I own one of the most influential businesses in the world. You best do what I say if you don't wish to live on the streets."

My heart was pounding now, along with my head spinning. Leave Syaoran…or I'll never get another job…?

"Ah," he said, as if he'd just remembered something. Something told me he was just saving it until now. "And here's one more reason you should think it over." He snapped his fingers and two men appeared and threw a cute girl—over the side of the ledge! AH!

Syaoran and Eriol both dashed forward. Syaoran held his arms out frantically. He caught her, but fell in the process, and the girl would have smacked her head off the hard floor if Eriol hadn't slid down on the ground and been there to break it. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

Syaoran carried the girl back over to us. She was a couple of years younger than Syaoran, with delicate features that were twisted in fear and pain. She had a black eye and blood was dried around her nose and mouth, which were also bruised. Syaoran set her gently down onto her feet, and her legs wobbled as she stood. I stepped forward and caught her, supporting her. I noticed she was shivering, and her fingers clenched my shirt.

"That is dear Daisuke's beloved."

I heard a sharp intake of breath from Syaoran.

"She will die if you do not do as I ask."

My mouth fell open, and I held the girl tighter to me. The men were back, again seeming to appear out of nowhere. One of them grabbed her hair and yanked her away from me. She let out a strangled yelp, and he slapped her. I covered my mouth with my hands, horrified.

"You're…despicable!" Syaoran spat, his fists tightening.

Li was still smiling, though it had a dark edge to it. "And you're a runaway heir dating your teacher. Do I call you names?"

Syaoran suddenly dashed forward and jumped on a table, then up to an awning from one of the stores, and as he reached up for the ledge to get to the second floor, his father moved over and heavily stomped his foot down on his son's fingers. Syaoran cursed loudly but held on. Li pressed harder and crushed his fingers more, until Syaoran finally gave in and let go, falling down on the awning and flipping backwards, dropping to the floor with a loud thud that echoed around the empty mall.

"I wouldn't try anything rash, dear Syaoran," Li advised, shaking his head. "Oh, and don't try to tell Sakura or Eriol to do anything either. Don't worry, I know everything about you and your little companions." He snapped his fingers. "Come, spy!"

I frowned. _Spy? _

My stomach leapt up to my throat when I saw Meiling step out of the shadows. Her face was pulled into a frown and she wouldn't meet my eyes.

Li let out a loud laugh. "For quite a while now, I've had Meiling reporting to me about your daily lives."

Syaoran swore loudly. Had we been in school, I'd have slapped him for such a profanity. But we weren't, so I echoed it.

My eyes were stinging. I'd put my heart into trusting Meiling. I figured, just 'cause she was sent to marry Syaoran, that didn't mean she had to be, well, evil. But I guess…

"Now, Meiling," Syaoran's father waved his hand and started to turn away. "Do as I have asked."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Meiling move, and then suddenly there was smoke everywhere. I coughed and my eyes almost instantly started watering. I reached out, trying to find someone, anyone, and was surprised when someone gripped my arm and started pulling me, running as fast as they could. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but figured anywhere was better than near that lunatic that was somehow the head of an ultra powerful company.

When we were out of the smoke, we were close to the entrance, and without hesitation we dashed to the parking lot. I hungrily gasped for air, half because of the smoke and half because I'm not the most athletic woman in the world.

When I'd caught my breath again, I looked up. Tomoyo was bending over, clutching her knees and breathing heavily, while Meiling looked like she'd just taken a stroll in the park.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked, frowning in concern at our out-of-shapeness.

"You lied to me!" I hissed.

A shadow crossed her face. "I'll admit…at first, I was his spy. But then…I realized that you didn't deserve what was coming to you. You genuinely loved Syaoran. So I started giving him false information; you might be okay for a while. Of course, it doesn't help that he's patrolling the halls…"

_I have to leave Syaoran or he'll make me jobless? _I reiterated in my head, feeling the panic rise in me.

I looked up at Meiling. "…I believe you."

She smiled, sighing in relief. "Thank you."

Eriol and Syaoran burst out of the plaza. Syaoran stared at Meiling for a while.

"You helped us," he said at last. "Thank you."

Her smile widened and a pink blush sprinkled across her cheeks.

Syaoran turned his attention to me, serious. "You have to be very careful, I hope you know."

I nodded, though my head was still spinning and I felt like I might pass out.

* * *

**The ending was a little abrupt but I had to end it somehow! I hope you liked it. A little weird, but still. :P Please review, and please remember to vote in that damn poll!**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter 26**_

**Hey again guys. Uhm yeah so…sigh. Sorry, once again, for the uber long update wait. :/ I hope you can forgive me…especially being as it's so close to the end, I guess you want the chapters even more. :P So again, I'm sorry. Please review and vote in the poll, more in the a/n at the bottom. :P **

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

The door clicked and opened. I looked over and saw Syaoran entering the classroom, a tired smile spread across his face. I smiled back empathetically.

"Hey," he said, walking over to me.

"Good morning," I replied, stepping closer to him. I looked into his eyes and saw they were drowning in worry. I let out a humourless chuckle and stretched up to kiss him lightly on the mouth.

"I've been worrying about you," he mumbled, looking embarrassed.

I smiled, and touched his hair lightly. It was soft and thick; I ran my fingers through it. "I can see that. But don't worry about me. I'll get through this. _We'll _get through this."

His lips curved into a smile, a real smile, and he wrapped his arms around me and pushed his lips against mine. Our kisses always seemed so perfect, like it was something we were meant to do. Then again, it probably was.

All of a sudden, I saw a shadow in the window of the classroom door. My heart almost stopped as I immediately pulled away from Syaoran. _What if it's Li, or another board official? _

The door swung open, and Meiling stood there, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"You guys are too stupid. After all that happened yesterday, you'll still do that at school?" she scolded before taking a seat. "You're just lucky I wasn't someone else."

I sighed shakily, greatly relieved that it was only Meiling. I whacked Syaoran's shoulder. "Go sit down. Class is about to start."

* * *

The vending machine rumbled and dropped out my soda. I grabbed it and brushed it off. I could faintly hear the kids outside talking and fighting and doing whatever. Lunchtime was a jungle at Tomoeda High School, I concluded with a smile.

I started towards the staff room to see if there were any more doughnuts left, daring to open the soda so early after being taken from the machine. It only fizzed up a little, rushing down the side of the can and making a small puddle on the floor. I glanced around; no one was there. I quickly walked away from the—miniscule—puddle, giggling to myself.

Sadly, there were no more doughnuts in the staff room, so I just walked back over to my classroom. I threw myself down into my cushioned spinning chair and twirled around in it a couple of times as I sipped my drink thoughtfully.

There was really nothing to do to stop Li. He had money and power and I was a teacher with my high school students. I doubted we could use any type of magic; I repeat, he had money and power. A magic of his own.

I nearly choked on the soda when my door suddenly opened. I stopped spinning, coughing, and set the can down on my desk. When I looked up, tears in my eyes from coughing and choking, I saw Li smirking down at me, hate in his eyes. I glared back up at him.

"Yes, Li-san?" I asked politely, my face still a mask of resentment.

He just chuckled, shook his head, and left the room.

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sakura walking into the video store. I quickly stuffed the magazine I was holding back onto the shelf and rushed out into the mall and after Sakura.

I walked up behind her silently and glanced at the DVD she was holding; _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. _I put my hands on her shoulders, and she jumped.

"You know there's lots of sexual content in that movie?" I whispered into her ear, chuckling.

She wheeled around. "Syaoran!" she said angrily. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

I grinned at her and took the DVD out of her hands. "Really though, this is a great movie." I kissed her on the mouth.

I took her hand and we walked over to the front desk to rent the movie. Then we went over to the ice cream place in the food court and shared a large cone of French Vanilla ice cream. We sat down and took turns licking it.

"So did anything happen today?" I asked.

"Your dad came into my room while I was having a soda and almost killed me," she said, shaking her head. I looked at her in alarm, and she looked back at me, startled. "Oh, I didn't mean—I meant, he surprised me and I choked on my drink." She smiled sheepishly up at me and I sighed. "Sorry. But then, he just laughed and walked away. It was the strangest thing."

I frowned. "That is strange. Sounds like he might be plotting something," I joked lightly. I bent forward and licked off some more ice cream, oblivious that he was. And his plan was taking place right at that moment.

* * *

_**Honda Atsushi's Point of View**_

Beside me, Suzuki Yoko was, once again, shooting her mouth off about the teachers at Tomoeda High School. I was, once again, tuning her out.

"Is that so?" I said, placing it in somewhere randomly in her rant.

"Yes!" she fumed. "And that Kinomoto Sakura girl—she's barely out of high school herself, it looks like! As a Director of that school, I think she should be gone!" She turned to look sharply at me. "You're on the Board of Directors, too, Atsushi-san. Don't _you _think she should be gone as well?"

I shrugged. "I don't see a reason to kick her out. She's a good teacher."

"A GOOD TEACHER?" Yoko exclaimed, infuriated. "Hardly! She—"

At this point, I tuned her out yet again. I glanced around the mall, hoping no one saw me with the incredibly loud, fat woman walking next to me. I had only come to get something for Li. We'd become friends of sorts after being on the Board of Directors together for a while. It had been terrible luck that I had run into Suzuki Yoko at the mall. She'd bounded after me, screaming "Atsushi-san! Atsushi-san, wait for me!" Of course, it would have been rude to keep on walking. It was obvious I could hear her—no one _couldn't _have heard her.

My gaze fixed on a couple eating ice cream together. They were sharing one cone, and the boy kept daring to lick it at the same the girl was. I smiled; I found it cute.

Then my face pulled into a frown. I recognized those two from somewhere.

"Yoko," I said, interrupting her rant and forgetting any formal terms. She blinked at me, surprised I had cut her off so abruptly. "What did you say Kinomoto Sakura looked like?"

"Well," she started, "she has big, naïve, stupid green eyes. And incredibly short, brownish hair—"

"Auburn hair?" I put in, still watching the couple as my frown deepened.

"Uhm, I suppose so, yes."

"Suddenly, Yoko, I have a reason for Kinomoto Sakura to be fired."

I felt like a storm cloud coming to ruin a sunny day as I stalked over to the now kissing Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran. I put a firm hand on Kinomoto Sakura's shoulder, causing her to look up in surprise. Li Syaoran, confused, resorted to glaring at me.

"Kinomoto Sakura, I am Honda Atsushi."

She looked up at me, confused.

"Of the Board of Directors for Tomoeda High School," I continued.

Her face blanched and a strangled noise came from her throat.

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

Honda Atsushi sent Syaoran home. He looked back at me over his shoulder, despair written across his face. I knew that despair would soon turn to anger and someone would end up with a broken arm.

I recognized Suzuki Yoko, the stuck up lady, as she glared at me, disgusted.

Honda Atsushi fixed me with a piercing look that made my stomach churn. "We will discuss this matter in the morning, in Mizuki-san's office." He turned sharply on his heel and walked away, leaving me feeling deflated and frightened. My breath caught in my throat. I grabbed my purse and dashed the opposite way out of the mall.

I jumped into my car and slammed the door. I felt the tears coming up behind my eyelids as my body shook. They spilled out all at once and I sobbed loudly, leaning against the steering wheel.

It was dark outside. The street light near my car sputtered and went out and I was drenched in near complete darkness. My tears made the top of my shirt wet, and that made me cold in turn. Goosebumps rose on my skin and the fine hairs that lined my arms stood on end.

I suddenly felt very alone in the cold and dark. Come the morning, what would I do? My life would be over. An affair with a student was possibly the worst thing that a teacher could do. I'd be thrown behind bars and never be able to work near minors ever again. And I'd probably never be able to see Syaoran again either.

Fresh, hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I let out another cry that sounded like a wounded donkey and hugged my knees to my chest, feeling utterly alone.

* * *

When I finally got home, I was tired and dazed. I shut the Lamborghini door and wobbled over to my door, unlocking it with fumbling fingers. I didn't bother locking it behind me. I just stumbled over to my bed, undressed, and curled up under the covers, more tears threatening to fall.

"Sakura!"

My heart almost cracked my ribcage as I shot up in bed, startled.

"Sakura!" came the urgent whisper again.

I pulled the covers up around myself. "Who's there?"

"Sakura, it's me." Surprisingly, it was Kaho who stepped out of the shadows. I blinked in surprise.

"Kaho-chan—?" I gasped. Then tears blurred my vision. Her office tomorrow morning would spell my doom.

"Sakura," Kaho said again, and dropped down onto my bed. I noticed she was panting slightly. I reached over and rubbed her back.

"What's wrong, Kaho-chan?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Honda Atsushi," she began, and I cringed, "he saw you and Syaoran-kun together." I nodded. "I tried, Sakura, I really tried."

I frowned. "Tried what?"

"I tried to cloud it over with magic, but I couldn't—I've used so much of it lately, I'm just…I'm all worn out now, Sakura, I'm sorry. I couldn't do it."

"You…?" Suddenly realization dawned upon me. Before, that news clip of Syaoran and I, why hadn't I noticed that no one was attempting to have me locked up or fired or sent to the corner at least? Nothing happened to him or me because _Kaho_ covered it up with her magic. And now, she was trying to do it again…

"Kaho-chan," I whispered, more tears springing to my eyes, this time out of utter gratitude to the woman before me. She sat up, looking tired, and I hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Kaho-chan."

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she murmured, hugging me back, "but this time I could only cloud over some of the story."

I shook my head. "Don't feel bad, Kaho-chan, you've done more than enough. And I'm _so _grateful for that…thank you."

She smiled and stroked my hair. "It'll still be better than normal though. Don't cry anymore…little sister."

My eyes widened at the term. I hadn't heard that in a long time. She used to call me 'little sister' when she and Toya were dating. That was so long ago. I always used to call her 'big sister', which prompted my own nickname. And right now, it comforted me to know Kaho was the big sister I never had.

"So what's gonna happen?" I asked nervously.

"Don't worry," she said, pulling away and standing up. "You'll find out in the morning. Good night, Sakura-chan." I watched the doorframe she had walked out of until I heard the front door shut. Then I leaned back in bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

**Hey so, I hope you liked it. :) Again, I'm really sorry for the long wait…again. I think I might just write the next two/three chapters so I can be done with this and not have to worry about it anymore, and worry about the readers having to wait. :P And sorry if you were confused at the Honda Atsushi part. xD**

**AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE POLL! PLEASE!**

**And please review too! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Chapter 27**_

**Hey guys! I know, super fast update, right? :3 I hope you're proud of me. ;D This chapter, well, to those of you that pay attention to close details and real-life aspects, read this chapter with an open mind and knowing that magic was involved to sway some people's decisions, okay? Also, this chapter was spaced out through like a few weeks, so each different scene is at least a week apart. I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to review! :) (I didn't get that many for last chapter. :P I hope no one's slacking! ;P)**

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

My heart pounded against my chest, my gaze cast downward, as to not meet anyone's eyes. I was sitting in Kaho's office, along with Syaoran, the five people that made up the Board of Directors, the police officer that normally dealt with Syaoran, Matsumoto, and Kaho herself. The atmosphere was tense and uncomfortable.

Honda Atsushi stood. "As you all know, we're here because of an apparent affair between Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran—a teacher and her student."

I bit my bottom lip and twined my fingers together nervously. I dared to look up at Syaoran, who was side glancing back at me. We exchanged a small, brief, melancholy smile that could have meant a lot of things.

Atsushi continued. "Yesterday evening, I saw Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura sitting in the food court of Tomoeda Mall, sharing an ice cream…and kissing. I've done some more research and discovered that they are in fact a complete item."

I glanced over at Kaho. Her eyes were screwed up in concentration, her fingers were tangled together and her lips were moving a mile a minute. I saw a drop of sweat slide down her cheek and I knew she was enchanting the situation so that the outcome wasn't so severe. I felt a fresh wave of thankfulness for her.

"The result of this situation is…" Atsushi took a deep breath and looked around the room at his colleagues. They all nodded, including Li, who had a smile playing on his lips and a glint in his eye. "Kinomoto Sakura is fired from her position at Tomoeda High School. She is prohibited from seeing Li Syaoran until he is graduated…" He suddenly looked confused, and I knew this was from the magic Kaho was invoking. Then he shook his head and looked once again in control. "Now…" He sighed, staring into space for a brief moment. "I have a daughter of twenty," he said suddenly. My eyebrows raised, as did everyone else's. "She is in a relationship with a seventeen year old. I understand…" He sighed again, and shook his head. Even Kaho looked surprised now. "You're very young. You are only two years older than Li Syaoran… I won't let this story get to the press and I will be very unprofessional in my decision here today, but I will only give you those two punishments. Pack up your things as soon as possible and don't come back here again unless it's an absolute—_absolute—_emergency."

My mouth dropped open. "A-are you serious?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening.

He looked around at his companions; slowly, they all nodded their consent. Except for Li, who had a vein throbbing violently on his forehead. His hands were clenched into taut fists, trembling with anger and white with the pressure.

"In truth, we get a lot more stories like this than one might think," Atsushi confessed, sitting back down. "And they're all a lot worse than this one. Thirty year olds with fifteen year olds, forty year olds with seventeen year olds…" He shook his head. "This one almost seems…socially acceptable compared to those." I winced at his words: 'socially acceptable'. Like society hated us as a couple…

My mind also flickered to Rika and Yoshiyuki. I wondered how old Yoshi was?

In spite of myself, I felt tears spring to my eyes. "You're serious," I said again.

Atsushi smiled a tired smile at me, and nodded. The other Directors nodded and smiled as well. I looked at Kaho. She was still casting a spell. It almost disappointed me that this decision wasn't actually entirely theirs. But I was happy I wasn't going to jail and banned from being a teacher entirely.

I stood and hugged Atsushi tightly. To my surprise, he hugged me back. "In truth, I was very angry when I saw you at the mall last evening. But for some reason…you remind me of my daughter. And I can sense that you're a good person. Also…I can tell your relationship with Li Syaoran isn't just a fling." _You're right, _I thought, _it was written in a prophecy._

I looked him in the eye. His eyes were a pretty hazel. "Thank you," I whispered. He smiled again.

I walked over to Syaoran. He jumped up. My hand twitched; I was about to reach up and touch him, but I thought that would be wrong. I wasn't supposed to be seeing him until he graduated. All the way until _next June. _That was a year away.

He threw his arms around me and kissed me. His lips were as soft and warm as ever, his scent just as intoxicating, his skin just as smooth. I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

He pulled away, and let go of me, staring at me intensely. Embarrassed, I turned back to the crowd which, I just noticed, looked slightly dazed thanks to the magic. Even Li. I bowed, said another thank you and dashed to the door. Before I could leave, Syaoran grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to kiss me again, short but passionate, and then let me leave. But not before whispering, "I love you."

I almost felt like I should've been given a bigger punishment, like I'd done something very wrong and only slapped on the wrist for it. Almost. I was the last person to think being together with Syaoran should be a crime. On the phone this morning I had talked with Tomoyo, and she had reminded me that Syaoran and I were literally destined to be together, and because of it we saved a lot of lives—like, the whole world's lives. And I was happy about that.

I walked over to my classroom, and opened the door without bothering to knock. As of now, it was still my classroom. The substitute stopped talking and looked up, surprised. The whole class seemed to move as one to look at me. They looked dead with boredom, but when they saw me, their eyes lit up.

"Ah, yes, can I help you?" the sub asked suspiciously.

I smiled, my lip trembling. "Yeah. I need to get my stuff."

I stepped into the room and started putting my things together in a pile on the floor. A picture of me with the class in Kyoto, some books, a couple of papers, one of Naoko's short stories…

Before I knew it tears were yet again clouding my vision. I cursed at them silently. _I thought I'd finally gotten rid of you. _I let out a funny strangled noise, and quickly pulled my hand up to cover my mouth. I tried desperately to blink back my tears, but I couldn't. They fell over my lashes and onto my cheeks.

"Kinomoto-sensei…" I heard Rika say softly.

I grinned at them sheepishly. "I'm sorry, guys. I let you down. I…I can't work here anymore."

"You were fired?" Chikafuji's voice.

I nodded, brushing away a tear in vain. "Yeah." My voice was near inaudible.

There was a stunned silence. No one needed to ask why I was being fired.

"Sakura-chan!" Chiharu suddenly leapt out of her chair, which clattered to the floor. She raced over to me and hugged me tightly. I was surprised; a) she'd called me 'Sakura-chan' and b) that she was so affected by my leaving.

Rika and Naoko soon followed, running to the front of the classroom and throwing their arms around me.

Eriol stood and walked steadily over, sadness covering his face. He joined the group hug, enveloping us in his long, muscular arms. Yamazaki knocked his desk over in his attempt to get to me, blubbering suddenly like a baby. I laughed out loud as he crashed into the hug, followed by basically the rest of the class.

Honestly, I couldn't have been more touched. And I couldn't have cried more. Embarrassingly, I broke down mid-group-hug, which just made the embrace tighter. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the supply teacher standing awkwardly in the corner. I laughed at him, though it cracked and ended up sounding like a very angry squirrel.

The bell for second period rang, and everyone's muscles tensed. I sighed. "Go to your second period classes. Go on. Go."

Hesitantly, looking at me with sadness, they all disentangled themselves from the hug and walked stiffly out the door.

When everyone had finally gone, even Chiharu, Naoko and Rika, I noticed Meiling leaning against a desk. She was trying to look tough, but I could see the moisture in her eyes. I held out my arms, and she stood up and hugged me, sniffling.

"Don't worry," I murmured. "I'll probably be seeing you soon."

She mumbled in agreement. "This is exactly what Li-sama planned."

"I know. But in a year, I'll be right back in Syaoran's arms."

"You mean you can't even see him?"

"Not until he graduates."

Her eyebrows knitted together and her upper lip trembled. "But…that's so unfair."

I shook my head. "No, on the contrary, my punishment is _very _fair."

She sighed. "Whatever you say…"

I chuckled. "Come on, now, go to your next class. You're already late."

She smiled at me sadly. "Bye," she said softly.

"Bye," I whispered back.

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

Frustrated, I stuffed a cigarette in my mouth. I held up my lighter and ignited the end of the smoke. I breathed in, pulled it out of my mouth, and blew out. My eyebrows were pulled together in a seemingly endless frown as I thought about the meeting back in Mizuki's office.

I felt like screaming and ripping someone's arm out of their socket when I thought about not being able to see Sakura until I graduated. Until I _graduated. _That's a long freakin' time, a year is.

"Hey," Eriol's voice said from beside me. I looked over, covering up my alarm from his sudden appearance. His face was grim. "You all right?"

I put the cigarette coolly back into my mouth. "Fine."

"You gonna be able to do it?" he asked uncertainly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Do what?" I replied, keeping my eyes staring straight ahead of me.

Eriol sighed with a slight shake of his head. His navy hair fell in front of his round glasses. "I guess not," he said softly, turning away.

I grabbed the back of his shirt with my left hand, pulling him back over to me. "Do what?" I repeated, my tone more menacing this time.

There was a silence for a moment as I glared at Eriol's still back. Then he wheeled around and knocked my hand away from his shirt. He was glaring back at me. "Not see Sakura for a year. But I guess not if it's only been a week and you're being this much of a dick already."

I clenched my teeth and spat the cigarette of my mouth. I didn't bother stepping it out. "Take that back," I growled.

"No," he said evenly.

My eyes locked with his and we shared a powerful glare.

"There's nothing you can do about it unless you want Sakura to go to jail," he pointed out.

"I know that."

"So stop sulking and carry on with your normal life."

I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly closed it.

Eriol smirked. "What, Sakura _is _your life?"

My lips pressed together tightly, forming a thin line. "What else is there for me to do other than beat people up and all that shit?" I spat.

Eriol's gaze stayed level as he shrugged. "That's for you to decide, not me. The one thing I can tell you for certain—anyone could tell you for certain, is that you can't see Sakura for a year. Do what you will with that year."

He turned quickly on his heel and walked back around to the yard of the school. I waited until he was out of sight, then I shrunk down against the tree I was leaning against with a deep sigh. Eriol was right. I needed to find something to do with my life now that Sakura was out of it from now until next June.

* * *

My answer came thirteen days later.

I was surprising even myself by attending most of my classes at school, a lot more than usual anyway. (Not like there was much school left.) The teacher replacing Sakura, however, I mainly just glared at and didn't listen to a word he ever said. In truth I felt kind of like a loser. Eriol sat smirking in the seats beside me in our classes together. He'd always attended class and got good marks as well as being a delinquent. I'd never understood how he'd done it.

We were sitting against the back of a portable during lunch, drinking the beer we'd hidden underneath it the night before, when my phone rang. I answered it lazily, taking a sip of beer and dragging the cell out of my pocket.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Syaoran." Mizuki's voice rang in my ear. "You've got an appointment with an agent of a recording company today after school."

My eyebrows nearly flew off my forehead. "I what?"

"You heard me," she said, a smile in her voice. "A scout was at the concert in Kyoto, and he really liked your performance. He sends his apologies for waiting so long to get in touch, but he'd like you and the band to come in and have a chat."

"That's awesome," I said lamely.

"Be there at five," she said, then hung up.

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

Instead of excitement, I felt sadness when I opened the doors to the big private school that was to be my new workplace. It was a lot fancier than Tomoeda High School, that was for sure. The halls were squeaky clean, and there were paintings hanging on the walls and small tables with expensive-looking vases sitting on top of them spaced evenly throughout the building. I saw no students, obviously, being as it was summer vacation already, but I knew they wore strict uniforms. And, they would most likely be rich snobs.

But it was a job, and a job that paid well, and I'd take it.

I finally found my way to the head office. It had large windows and a few different, smaller rooms inside of it. There was an impressive mahogany desk placed in the centre of the room, with papers, a computer, and a phone on top of it.

I jumped when one of the smaller doors opened and a middle-aged woman stepped out, smiling tightly. She looked like a stick in the mud from the instant I saw her; a knee length skirt that hung like a towel over her hips and thighs, an ill fitting jacket that looked like it matched the blazers of the school—only uglier—with a plain white blouse underneath. Her black, greying hair was pulled into a bun so tight I was sure the hairs would rip right off her skull at any moment. And to top it all off, her clothes were all grey.

I smiled a bright, fake smile and held out my hand. She took it after looking me over and shook it very carefully. _What, woman, am I going to turn into a bear? Rip your arm right off and hit you with it? _

"Hello, Kinomoto-san," she said.

"Hello, Katakura-san," I replied, still smiling politely—and fakely. I handed her my resume, and she looked through it quickly, nodding slightly a few times.

She asked me a few boring questions, like what do you take pride on from you job as a teacher, are you able to maintain the proper educational curriculum in the allotted amount of time the school board has given you, blah blah blah. I almost vomited, but instead I answered the way only someone desperate for a job would. I made sure to use big words and pretend school was a temple. I wondered what kind of teachers worked here, and if they were faking it like I was.

After about an hour, Katakura smiled one last, thin-lipped smile at me and told me I'd be starting Tuesday, September 7th. I bit my lip to hold back my big grin and my cry of joy, and shook her hand and said thank you once again.

I knew I was going to enjoy teaching at that school, Kimagure Institute, even though it seemed like a speck of dirt was cause for a lockdown. Because they seemed like the kind of people it would be fun to teach and mess with. Not like the kids at Tomoeda, of course, easy going and laid back, but still fun to mess with. Who knows, maybe I'd be the most fun teacher they'd ever had?

* * *

**Yeah, Sakura got off easy, but that's half in thanks to the magic Kaho was casting, so don't criticize too much. :3 Please remember to review, please I beg you! :D And also remember that the end is near ~ ! ;D The enxt chapter will probably be another time lapsey type thing. :P Thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing and hopefully reviewing in the poll about this fic on my profile, which is caught in a tie yet again with 'yes' and 'no'. Thank you!**


	28. Chapter 28

_**Chapter 28**_

**This one's pretty long. :D I hope you like it…I think you will. ):3 Mwahaha. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing ~ ! And voting on the poll. Thankfully I noticed people were voting again. As of now, 'No', it's better with magic, is ahead of 'Yes', it would have been better with no magic, by one…hurry and cast your vote! ;D Thank you!**

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

I was disgusted with myself when I felt a girly, fluttery feeling inside my stomach as I read over the sheet of paper in front of me. The package of papers, actually. And it definitely wasn't the first time I'd read that package of papers, either, I'll tell you that.

At the top of every page was the logo of Dynasty Records, the company we—the band and I—had gotten signed on with. The papers I was studying, yet again, made up the contract that bound us there.

I set the contract aside and picked up the notebook lying beside me. Inside it were three (and a half) original songs I'd written; our manager, Kobayashi Yuki, told us we needed ten original songs that would make up our first studio album. I'd contacted him after I'd finished the first two songs and worked out the beats and stuff, and he took us to play in a mall parking lot. Surprisingly, a lot of people came and we were even mentioned on the news. Kobayashi had said that was promising.

When my cell rang, I answered it quickly after looking at the Caller ID. "Kobayashi-san," I greeted.

"Syaoran-kun, can you and the band come in some time next week and we can record that first song you performed in the parking lot professionally? I want to send it to some radio stations so we can get you guys off the ground," he explained.

I grinned. "Sure. We'll be there on Tuesday."

"All right, see you then."

I hung up and looked over the song he was talking about, but was interrupted when my phone rang again. Irritated, I looked at the Caller ID—private name, private number.

"Hello?"

"Syaoran."

My eyes narrowed and my jaw tightened. "Father. What do you want?"

"Just checking up on you," he said casually.

"Fatherly love," I muttered coldly.

"Shut up about love," he snapped. "It doesn't exist, you ignorant child."

"Why don't you shut up? Just because you're heart is a snapping turtle doesn't mean everyone else's is, too," I barked, my voice rising in anger.

"Well they should be! That way the world would be able to stand on its own two feet!" he yelled back.

I frowned. Normally he didn't lose his temper so quickly. I vaguely wondered if something was bothering him, and if I could use it against him.

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked in mock concern. "Did some woman make your legs melt like they're supposed to when you're _in love_?" I asked, stressing the last two words to piss him off more.

I was actually kind of surprised when the phone clicked and disconnected. I imagined he'd slammed the receiver down harshly on the base and was cursing me to no end.

The thought made me smile in satisfaction.

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

Apparently, I was mainly teaching literature at the new school. I sighed, slightly disappointed. But it was all right, we just got to read books and write short stories. On second thought, literature was fine with me.

Katakura had sent some papers in the mail. Obviously it would have been easier to just e-mail them but maybe Katakura was too good for computers. I rolled my eyes at the thought. I definitely would _not _enjoy her being the top dog.

Along with the class assignments, I got a list of the staff and which rooms they belonged to, and a floor plan with the room numbers printed on it. It was actually pretty helpful. I looked up my room and the ones around it. The classroom directly across from mine, 231 (mine being 232) was assigned to a Mister Minami. Beside me, in room 230, was a Missus Hanazono. I was kind of getting excited. School starting was only two weeks away now.

I straightened the papers out and walked over to the bookshelf so I could file them. On my way there, I passed by a picture sitting atop a dresser. I paused, my feet stopping abruptly. Hesitantly, I looked back over my shoulder. Then I snatched the photo up and stared at it.

Smiling faces littered the paper, peace signs held up from tons of the bodies. Syaoran had his arm slung around my shoulder, his face split in a big grin and a laugh. The rest of my class had their arms thrown around each other as well, beaming. My eyes burned and a choking sound erupted from my throat. I quickly replaced the picture back on the drawer and went over to my bookshelf. I grabbed the thick binder with all of my other school things in it and flipped it open. I put the new sheets under a new tab to separate it from the Tomoeda High School papers. I made a mental note to get a new binder.

Wistfully, I flipped swiftly through the older pages and stopped when two words seemed to leap off the page and squeal at me. It was my old class list, and the name—Li Syaoran—seemed to stand out like a splash of white on a cold, black canvas…like my life.

I snorted at myself, at the stupid comparison, knowing I was no kind of poet. I shut the binder and tucked it neatly away again on the shelf. I couldn't take my second chance for granted. If I had a regular life and regular friends, I would be behind bars in an orange jumpsuit. But nope, here I was, getting ready to start simply at a different school thanks to some magical implications.

My doorbell rang, and I looked over my shoulder, surprised.

When I opened the door, I was even more surprised.

Ayumu stood on my doorstep, staring at me, looking embarrassed, sad, pleading, and slightly ashamed.

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

My lips parted in a delighted grin as I pressed the over-sized headphones closer to my ears. I glanced over at my band-mates, who were sharing my grin, their eyes glimmering with pride.

Playing from the headphones was our first song professionally recorded in a studio. It was finally finished; editing, over-lapping, volume controls, special effects—it was amazing. It was almost the best feeling ever…almost.

Kobayashi was smiling at us as we removed the headphones when the song was over, still in awe. "Do you like it?" he asked.

We all just nodded dazedly, and Kobayashi chuckled at us; our wide eyes glittering, grinning like fools.

"I'll start sending it into radio stations later tonight. I'll call you when one of them accepts, and tell you what time it'll be playing at," he continued.

I finally snapped back to reality. "Yes, sir."

He laughed. "No need for 'sir', Syaoran-kun, I think you know that."

I tried to force back the blood that pooled at my cheeks. "Sorry, Kobayashi-san."

His smile widened as he studied us again. "You guys…are the perfect new heart-throb group."

My lips twitched in amusement. "Why thank you, I know I'm hot."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "With that face, that body, and that attitude, Syaoran-kun, the girls will be falling all over you." He blinked in surprise, like he'd just remembered something he'd long forgotten. "Syaoran-kun, do you already have a girlfriend?"

My heart felt like it would suddenly shatter. I clenched my fists, so hard my knuckles turned white. I forced to keep my face straight even though it felt like he'd just punched me in the stomach. After a moment of silence and hesitation, I stammered, "I…yes."

Kobayashi opened his mouth to say something, but Eriol jumped in, putting his hand on my shoulder. "It's complicated."

_Complicated my ass, _I thought bitterly. _It's a fcking__ maze of sad._

I reached into my pocket and curled my fingers around my pack of cigarettes. "I need to go out for a smoke."

* * *

Outside, I lit up and slumped down on the curb. I'd been smoking a lot more since Sakura left, I noticed.

I sighed heavily, sending a billow of smoke out onto the road. It'd been a long time since anyone mentioned Sakura out loud. I thought about her every night, but showed nothing during the day. Almost like she never existed. That sort of…took the pain away. But it also made it worse. _Kind of like cigarettes, like the one in my mouth right now, _I thought despairingly.

A stumbling figure knocked into me, throwing the cigarette out of my mouth and onto the road, where a car instantly ran over it. I stood up and whirled around, lashing out, "Watch where you're going, idiot, you made me lose my cigarette!" I jerked my thumb back at the road.

"Well, sor-_ry, _you shouldn't be smoking in the first place anyway!" the girl yelled back.

"What're you, like, twelve?" I hissed. "Apologize for bumping into me!"

"All right, I'm sorry! Are you happy now, Mister Macho? Or do I need me to kiss your feet too?"

"Be my guest," I growled. "Or are you unworthy of these royal shoes?"

"Ugh, you are _so _full of yourself!"

"Shut up, Sakura!"

A moment of stunned silence passed. My big amber eyes were looking into wide emerald ones. Then a smile cracked my lips and a laugh escaped my throat.

"I love how, as soon as I see you, I have the urge to yell and argue with you," I whispered, my gaze softening.

Surprise was still written across her face. "Syaoran…"

I didn't let her say anymore; I reached my arms out and pulled her close to me, inhaling her scent in deeply. It felt like a century had passed since I'd last breathed in the light strawberry fragrance, or held her in my arms like this…

I felt her fingers grip my shirt tightly. "How many months has it been? Two? Two and a half?" She let out a weak, dry laugh. "It seems like it's been so much longer than that…"

"It's still _too _long," I murmured into her silky auburn hair.

Her fingers clasped my shirt even harder, and then she pushed me away. I shot my foot out behind to balance myself, taken aback.

"Sakura?" I asked, blinking. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes shimmered, looking watery, as if she might start to cry. She quickly held her hand to her face and brushed it across her eyes. "I can't deal with this…not now…"

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Why? What happened?"

"Syaoran…I'm not supposed to be seeing you," she said, squeezing my hand back.

"I don't care," I protested, taking a step closer to her.

She shook her head. "Bad things could happen, Syaoran. I might _never _be able to see you again."

I sucked in a breath. "At least…at least tell me what's wrong."

She looked at her feet nervously. "…Ayumu came to my house earlier."

My eyes widened, then narrowed into menacing slits. "What did that little demon want with you?"

Her eyebrows drew together. She took a deep breath. "Well…"

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

As if I didn't have enough to deal with already. But no, of course I had to run into Syaoran after trying to get a breather after talking with Ayumu. It felt like…like getting hit by a bus and then being picked at by vultures. Yeah. That's how it felt.

I breathed in deeply as a frown crossed my face. "Well…"

* * *

"A-Ayumu-kun," I choked out. "What…what are you here for?"

His gaze dragged from the floor up to me, his eyes burning. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed my hands, holding them delicately between his.

"Please, Sakura-chan," he pleaded, "give me another chance."

My lips parted in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I love you, Sakura-chan, so please, give me a second chance," he begged, gripping my hands tighter. "I heard…about what happened with you and Syaoran."

I frowned immediately. "So you think, now that I'm not allowed to see Syaoran, that I'm free and available all the time? You think I'll just suddenly take you back? That I'm that easy?"

His arms were suddenly embracing me, his fingers twining into my hair. He kissed me passionately, pulling me closer to him with one hand on the small of my back and the other in my hair, until the point where he was almost crushing me. Finally, I'd had enough.

I shoved him away forcefully, rage boiling up inside of me. "Get away from me, creep!" I yelled at him. "How dare you!"

"Sakura-chan, no, wait, please!" he called to my back as I turned back to my door. He grabbed my wrist. "Sakura-chan, please! I love you!"

I slapped his hand away, angry and disgusted, and slammed the door in his face. I heard him banging on the door and his muffled cries of "I love you!" as I marched angrily up to my bedroom.

I opened the drawer of my bedside table and shoved my hand in. I grabbed the photo frame and stormed over to the balcony, throwing the glass doors aside and leaning over the railing. "Hey!" I called. Ayumu looked up hopefully.

I cast one last glance at the picture of he and I, smiling widely on our date to the amusement park. Then I whipped it with all my might down at him. He held up his arms quickly over his head in defense, and the photo collided with his forearms, the frame's glass shattering all over him and the frame itself sure to leave a bruise.

A piece of glass had cut his right forearm, and he cradled it for a moment. Then he bent down and picked the picture up, shaking it gingerly away from the remains of the broken frame and the destroyed glass. He stared at it, looking pitifully heartbroken, and I grit my teeth in anger.

"Never come here again! Never ask me to get back together with you again! Never talk to Syaoran again!" I screamed, tears of fury mixed in with pain spilling over my lashes as I leaned further over the balcony rails. "And never, _ever," _I emphasized, growling, "**kiss me again!**" I retreated to my room and slammed the doors, willing them _not _to shatter and silently apologizing to them as I rushed down the stairs again.

I glanced out the front window. Ayumu had disappeared, but the glass and bits of mutilated frame were still scattered across the driveway. I noticed the photo was gone.

I snatched my purse off the kitchen table and stormed out of the house. I desperately needed to get a breather.

* * *

"And now, here I am with you," I concluded, finishing my story with a shrug.

Syaoran looked furious, but his features slowly relaxed into amusement. "You threw the photo frame at him and actually _cut _him?" he asked in bewilderment.

I blushed suddenly, and nodded. Syaoran laughed out loud.

"Now _that _must have been a bad relationship," he added, winking.

I smiled. "Yeah, because _you _ruined it."

We both laughed again and I caught myself staring deeply into his eyes. They burned with so much intensity; they always had. And they still captivated me as much as they had a year ago when I first met him.

My lips parted as he ran his fingers through my hair. I noticed little white scars running up his well-muscled arms from all the hooligan fights he must've gotten into. They stood out against his tanned skin. His hands, his long and slender fingers, were so gentle despite his seemingly hostile, aggressive nature. Slowly, those fingers trailed down to touch my lips, and hold my chin up so he could kiss me.

His kiss still felt the same. Warm and intense yet with a soft feeling. His hands serenely caressed my face and neck, the touch sending jolts of excited electricity through my veins and making my heart race. I found my own fingers tangling in with his messy chestnut hair, clenching into fists as I pulled his face down closer to mine, our lips still locked in a heavenly embrace. No…make that _sinful_ embrace.

Abruptly I pulled away harshly, my breath catching in my throat. I didn't want it to end, but it had to. With my luck—with _our _luck—Honda Atsushi would just _happen _to walk around the corner and see us.

I brought my hand up and slid it down his face. His skin was surprisingly soft. He stared at me, hurt in his eyes. His lids came down for a moment, and when he opened them his eyes were also filled with understanding. _Rebellious _understanding, knowing him.

"Goodbye," I said, my lips only forming the words, not even able to produce a whisper.

His muscles tensed as I slipped past him on the sidewalk, my hand falling back to my side. I bit my lip and I blinked rapidly as my eyes were stinging. I couldn't cry anymore. I was done with crying. I'd cried enough to last me a lifetime in the past year.

The word 'year' seemed to stick out to me. It would be a _year _until I saw him again. A _year. _

Quickly, before I could decide to change my mind, I wheeled around and went back to where Syaoran was still standing. I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him around roughly. I pushed my lips against his, hard, and then pulled away again, fast. He smiled and I heard him chuckle bitter sweetly as I turned back and started walking again.

* * *

**There you go, kids. ;D I hope you liked it. Especially that last part. ;3 I hope you all remember to review and vote in the poll; not much else to say! :P Oh yeah, and tell me in your review what you thought of Ayumu coming back to try and get back together with Sakura. XD Thank you!**


	29. Chapter 29

_**Chapter 29**_

******Well, a semi long wait, but not as long as you've had to wait before! I'm pretty sure the next chapter'll be soon, don't worry. Please review, and please vote in my poll about The New Teacher! :D**

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

Well, it's starting.

The first day at my new school.

Just as it had at Tomoeda High, my Lamborghini got lots of attention. Open mouths, smiles, whispers, excited stares. Maybe they thought I was rich. Ha ha. That's stupid, I'm a teacher.

As I looked around the new, more luxurious campus, however, the first few minutes of school changed from the ones at Tomoeda. I felt my vision go blurry, and I had to hurry and put my sunglasses on so none of the students—that I was avoiding, another difference—saw that my eyes were tearing up. I wasn't going to tarnish my reputation by crying as soon as I parked my car.

I was even more frustrated when I couldn't get the door to my classroom open. I jammed the key in and rattled it violently, and it still didn't move. I grit my teeth and glared down at the lock. Then I glanced around. I wonder if I still have any powers left ... ?

A male voice from behind made me jump and yelp. "Having trouble?"

I whipped around, clutching my heart. "You scared the shit out of me!"

He laughed, holding his hands up. "Sorry, sorry." He pointed at the door. "That door's always had a problem. You can't get it open the normal way."

I groaned and put my face in my hand. "Of course I get the retard door."

He laughed again and stepped in front of the door. He gripped the handle, turned the key, whacked above and below the lock with his fist hard, and then stepped away, gesturing for me to try it. I turned the knob, it clicked, and opened. I grinned. "Thank you!"

He smiled back. "No problem." He held out his hand. "I'm Minami Hiro. You must be Kinomoto Sakura-san?"

I nodded and shook his hand, studying him. He had short blond hair that was obviously bleached, being as he was completely Japanese. His dark brown eyes shone through his long lashes. I noticed he had some stubble growing along his angular jaw. Overall, he was definitely not a bad-looking man.

"What do you teach?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Math," he sighed, stretching. "I can already hear all of the questions, the answers, the formulas, the swear words forming in my head when all the kids fail with their multiplication tables..."

I laughed. "I taught math at my other school. It wasn't too bad. Obviously, it was because they all copied off each other, but oh well. If they pass, they're out of my way!"

He grinned. "I'm so glad you're not a stickler like the principal. Half of the teachers are just like her."

"Ugh. I know. Katakura's a nightmare. I'm surprised she actually let me have the job."

His grin widened. "I'm surprised I still have mine."

As we laughed, I heard the clicking of heels, and hoped it wasn't Katakura. But as I turned my head, I saw a young, very petite woman with a cute face and long, thick black hair.

"Good morning, Minami-san," she greeted, smiling. Then she turned to me. "Hello, I'm Hanazono Chiori."

"I'm Kinomoto Sakura, the new teacher." I suddenly felt stupid. _Obviously _I was the new teacher. Ugh.

She giggled. She was shorter than me, even with her heels on. She was like a little kid, almost. Or a doll.

The bell rang and saved me from any further embarrassment. As I stepped into the classroom, I yelled over my shoulder to Hiro, "Thanks for the tip on the door!" He laughed in response.

I looked around my new room and felt sadness wrap a hand around my heart. My desk was on the other side of the room. The windows were huge and let too much light in. The room itself was a lot bigger than my cozy little room at Tomoeda. The lights—yes, I am complaining about the lights—were a bright, blinding white. I liked them yellow.

I moaned quietly and let my lower lip tremble as I flopped into my chair—the back was too high and the material moved and was too squishy. As soon as some students came, I stopped it and sat up straight. The uniforms here were so much more unnecessarily fancy than Tomoeda's. They had crisp white dress shirts, so white, in fact, that they blinded me when they poked out from under the dark blue blazers, also crisp and stiff. Then there were the fancy cream cardigans and the dark sweater vests as well. The girls had pleated skirts, each and every one of them reaching down to the exact same point, halfway down the knee-cap, that matched the colour of the blazer. The boys had dressy pants, also matching the blazers, that had to be the right length. They couldn't be too short or too long—the guys at Tomoeda had baggy pants, or pants that were too long and bunched up at the bottom—they had to be at the exactly right height, stopping just below the ankle. Both girls and boys wore shiny black penny loafers.

You know I hate something when I spend an entire paragraph describing them.

When everyone was seated properly, I stood wearily. "Good morning—" I began, but they cut me off by replying "Good morning, Sensei," in unison. I coughed to hide my laughter. Eriol had done that sometimes as a joke. They did for real. I coughed again.

"Right, anyway," I started again. "I'm your new teacher, Kinomoto Sakura. I'll be teaching you literature this year." I picked up the attendance and started naming them all off, trying to memorize them. It hadn't been nearly as hard to remember the kids at Tomoeda; they were all loud and had specific personalities. These kids all remained seated and quiet, staring at me intently. There was a silence after I'd finished the attendance list, until one girl stood up.

"Kinomoto-sensei, my name is Takahashi Shizuka. Allow me to take the attendance down to the office."

I stared at her, a slight frown adorning my face. _What the fu—_

"Kinomoto-sensei?" Shizuka waved a hand in front of my face. "The attendance?"

I snapped back to reality. "Oh, right. Here." She took the attendance and pranced out of the class. I scanned the rest of the students, wondering if they were _all _like that. And desperately hoping they weren't.

_What the hell is wrong with these kids!_

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

"Li...Li-kun, could you answer this question for me?"

My eyes dragged up to meet his. The dorky replacement for Sakura. "No," I growled, shooting him a glare.

He swallowed, and as he spoke, his eyes darted around the room. "You can't say no, Li-kun. Please answer the question."

"No," I repeated, catching his eyes every time they stopped moving. Then they darted away again. I rose slowly from my seat. "Why can't you look me in the eyes and say something to me? Huh, Mister Macho?"

His eyes weren't moving anymore. Slowly, he dragged them up to mine. And looked away again. "Go—go to the office!" he shouted, scrunching his eyes shut.

I laughed loudly, throwing my head back. "You sure got me, Mister Macho."

* * *

In the office, Mizuki-sensei saw me and sighed, putting her face in her hands. "What is it, Syaoran-kun? Really? On the first day of school?" she moaned through her fingers.

I dropped down into a seat and slouched comfortably. "Yup. Guy's such a douche." I shook my head in disappointment.

"'That guy' that just called me and quit?"

I grinned. "Damn. He really was a tough guy."

I saw her lips twitch, but she held her composure. "Syaoran-kun, can't you try to get along with your new teacher?"

"I did," I protested.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Really? He quit because he likes you."

"I did when you asked me to get along with Sakura."

She exhaled slowly. "Syaoran-kun, get it through your head—Sakura isn't _allowed _to be your teacher. Can't you get through a year without seeing her?"

Our gazes met in a standoff. A few minutes of silence went by. I thought of my last meeting with Sakura.

I blinked, and the shook my head silently, slowly. Then again, faster.

"No," I said quietly.

She closed her eyes. "Syaoran-kun, you're nineteen soon. Pull it together. Be the tough guy you were before." As the cheeky grin curved my lips, she quickly backpedalled. "No—please, no, don't be the tough guy you were before. Or I will _expel _your ass."

We grinned at each other. "Now go back to class and play nice. He'll be out of here soon enough."

* * *

It took a week for the school to find a replacement for Sakura's replacement. But finally, they did.

She was a petite girl claiming to be twenty-seven, which raised eyebrows because she looked like she was twelve. She had to be barely five feet tall with big brown eyes and she wore a cream cardigan that had to be three sizes too big as it nearly went down to her knees, took away any shape she might have had, and swallowed her hands in an abyss of fabric. Our new new teacher replacing our old new teacher, Hanazono-sensei.

Her lessons were more interesting than the other guy's because she was so stupid. She would forget things at her house and get completely off track and forgot some of the criteria.

I sighed, shaking my head and wishing it was Sakura standing at the front of the class, not this chick.

* * *

Hanazono had the radio playing softly as we worked. I was literally working, writing more song lyrics and blocking everything else out. But my head snapped up when I heard a familiar beat.

"Turn it up!" I snapped suddenly.

Hanazono looked up at me in her innocent surprise. "Pardon?"

I jabbed my finger towards the radio. "Turn the radio up louder."

"Why?" She looked like she was trying to muster a frown.

"Because _I'm _on it right now," I nearly growled.

"And me," Eriol put in helpfully, casting her one of his innocent Eriol-smiles.

She slowly rose from her chair and moved the volume notch slightly. I rolled my eyes, went over to the radio, and batted her hand away. I cranked the knob until it wouldn't go any further. The song we'd played in that parking lot was blaring through the speakers. I sighed contentedly, pride swelling in my chest when I saw people dancing slightly in their seats. Some were even mouthing the words.

"Damn, this is my jam!" Chikafuji shouted, standing and doing what he thought was a really cool dance. I grinned as I watched him in all of his stupidity, our lead guitarist.

I whipped out my cell phone and texted Kobayashi: _hearin our song on the radio, feels awesome. _He texted back quickly: _;) damn right. _I chuckled. I knew I was lucky that we got such a cool guy as a manager.

"This is you?" Hanazono asked in astonishment.

I glanced at her sideways. "Yes."

Her eyes widened. "You have a beautiful voice, Li-kun."

I shrugged. "Don't get all attracted now. I've got a girlfriend."

She blinked, and then giggled. I turned away, muttering, "Creepy."

I sat back in my seat and leaned back as Eriol leaned forward on his elbows. "Speaking of girlfriend, Syaoran, anything with Sakura ...?"

I shook my head. "Naturally, she wants to abide by the rules and wait until I _graduate _to see me again."

Eriol cocked his head with an amused smile. "She doesn't _want _to stay away from you, she _has _to. She's doing it because she wants to see you, really badly."

I glared at him. "You know I'm not the sharpest tool in the crayon box, Eriol."

His eyes danced with amusement. "I know the opposite, Li."

My eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you—?"

Eriol's eyes flicked behind me. I turned my head a little. Hanazono was watching us intently from her desk.

"She's a weirdo," I muttered, shaking my head.

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

I decided quickly that Chiori had a major crush on Hiro. She giggled—well, she always giggled, but even more so when Hiro was around—and never stopped playing with her hair, whether she was twirling it around her finger, flipping it, fluffing it out, whatever. And her blinding smile towards him was never ending.

So naturally, I felt her hostility.

Whenever I was talking with him alone, which did happen a lot as he was right across from me and we could just wave each other over through the window in the door, she would butt in and start talking rapidly about something completely different. And her eyes stabbed me with pointy daggers whenever I would join them in conversation.

Clearly, she couldn't tell I was already in a—very complicated—relationship. But I had no desire to tell her, either, because I'm sure she'd tell everyone as soon as she could so Hiro would hear it.

On this particular day, I needed a stapler. I originally had three but two of them had been knocked over and one jammed.

I tapped on his door, and saw he was talking with—big shocker—Chiori. His door was already open a crack, and I could hear what she was saying in her higher-pitched voice.

"My sister is also a teacher, you know."

Hiro nodded, looking bored but keeping up a smile.

"She works at Tomoeda High School. It's a bit of a dump, not as nice as it is here."

My heart nearly stopped. I racked my brains for the name—Hanazono, Hanazono ... oh, but what if she was married? Her name would be different! Damn...

"She's only new there, though, replacing another teacher." She giggled, and I swallowed a groan. "She says there's a really funny Chinese boy in her class."

I took this moment to walk in. I forced Chiori a smile and then turned my attention to Hiro. "Sorry to bother you, but—"

"Not a problem," he interrupted with a smile. Chiori's fists clenched.

"—But, do you have a stapler I could borrow? All mine are toast," I finished, smiling back.

He jumped up. "Of course! Of course." He rushed over to his desk and pushed some stuff around until he saw one, then came back and pressed it into my hands.

I stared at it. "Uhm ... if this is your only one, I don't need to take it."

He shook his head. "No, no, it's fine! That's not my only one."

"Well, okay ..." I turned to Chiori hesitantly. "You were saying your sister works at Tomoeda High?"

She stared at me, and then nodded slowly.

I forced another smile. "I used to work there. It's a really great school," I said, thinking of her 'it's a dump' comment.

She shot back a quivering smile. "Yeah, she says she's ... really enjoying it there ..."

"That Chinese boy wouldn't happen to be Li Syaoran, would it?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, actually, I think that is what she said his name was ..."

I put my hands on my hips, shaking my head. "Oh yeah, what a kid. He's got a bigger police record than the rest of the school put together!" I laughed. "Funny kid."

Her mouth fell open. "R-really ...? A ... police record? For what?"

A waved my hand. "Ahh, I dunno, but who cares? It's not like she can date him or anything." I laughed again, and this time Hiro joined me.

"Right." She smiled again. "You're right."

As I left the classroom, I thought, _That's odd. It's like she _did _think her sister would start dating Syaoran. _

_She's a creepy chick._

* * *

**Perhaps 'twas to your liking? :3 I know it was a little filler, but it has hints of what's to come. Tell me what you think of the Hanazonos in a review!**

**Please review, review! :) And vote, vote in the poll, poll!**


	30. Chapter 30

_**The New Teacher**_

**Chapter 30**

**I know it's been quite some time, but high school sure does keep you busy...this is brought to you today because I'm home sick from school. ;) Hehe. So I hope you can forgive me, yet again, for a late update. I think this chapter will either surprise you or just confuse the hell out of you...but I do believe it will all make sense in due time. :) **

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* * *

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**Sakura's Point of View**

It was my lunch break, and I was in the process of locking my classroom door when I heard a profanity in the form of Chiori's high pitched little voice. I frowned and withdrew my key. Stepping cautiously over a few feet, I listened closer from her door without being seen. She was having a conversation on her cell phone, I assumed, because no one was responding when she spoke.

"...all over Hiro! But it's SO clear that he's _mine, _and she's still always talking to him and being all flirty with him. She's SUCH a PISS OFF! Seriously!" She paused, probably listening to the other line speak. "Yeah! She'll be talking to him, but her eyes are always so wide, and she's always moving her hips around and sticking them out, and flaunting her chest and everything."

I couldn't help but blush. Did I really do those things? I didn't think anything of how I . . . _moved _when I talked. I hadn't purposely moved my hips and stuck my chest out when I was talking to a guy since high school! And I completely wasn't interested in Hiro, either. I shook away my anger temporarily to listen in again.

"I've heard she has a boyfriend, even. Some kind of delinquent," she continued in a disgusted tone. If only her precious Hiro could hear her talking now . . . .

I took a risk and leaned forward to look in through the window in her door. She was sitting on her desk, legs crossed arrogantly, frowning with her cellphone pressed to her ear.

Her eyes widened. "A _juvenile _delinquent, even? Man! What kind of whore is she!"

I flinched at that. This chick was really just _poisonous. _

She went silent for a while, and I peeked at her again. An acidic smile was creeping its way across her face.

"Do it. Tomorrow. As soon as you can! It'll be _so _much fun."

A feeling of dread balled in my stomach.

* * *

**Syaoran's Point of View**

"Li-kun, I'd like to see you after class."

I looked up to meet Hanazono's gaze with a glare. "Why?"

She smiled sweetly, although there was an edge to it. "It's about something important."

* * *

After school, I reluctantly dragged myself back to Hanazono's classroom. Honestly, I'd rather shoot myself than be alone with her, but she was a teacher and she'd probably say something to get me in trouble with Mizuki if I didn't go.

I twisted the doorknob and entered the room with a sigh. I cocked an eyebrow when I saw Hanazono. She was sitting atop her desk, with her legs crossed so that her skirt was hiked up to her thighs. One side of her sweater was hanging down past her shoulder. She was smiling sweetly, though, not seeming to notice she was exposing herself.

"...Fix your clothes, you slob," I finally said with a glare.

She giggled, still smiling. It had the same edge it had had earlier that day, only the edge was more dominant than the sweetness now.

"Come here, Syaoran," she invited, locking her eyes with mine.

I stood my ground, fixing her with a hateful stare. She sighed, though she still smiled with what I realized was attempted seduction, and hopped off the desk. Her skirt fell down to her knees again but the ivory skin of her shoulder was still exposed. She stepped close to me and touched her hand to mine. There was something in it. I grasped the paper in her fingers and she winked at me before fixing her shirt and walking away.

I looked down at the paper. An address was written on it, and below it, a time. My eyes narrowed and I crushed the paper in my hand. What, was she inviting me to a birthday party or something? As I was about to throw it away, I noticed more writing on the back of it. I grumbled and smoothed the note out again.

It read, _PS, you'll fail if you don't come. :) See you soon! _

* * *

At nine o'clock that night I walked through the streets downtown. So that's how she played, huh? Dirty. I walked under a glaring streetlight and mumbled to myself, "Bit late for a birthday party." Where the hell was she leading me to, anyway? Hopefully I'd be able to restrain myself from punching her in the face. I can do it at school, but extra exposure to her rays of annoyance might make me go insane.

I turned the corner when I finally reached the street she specified. I looked at the numbers of the buildings I passed by until I found my destination. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open.

A club. She had lead me to a night club.

_What the fu-_

A guy came crashing out of the front doors of the building, piss drunk and bleeding from his nose. He stumbled away, groaning in what could have been pain or laughter.

I grabbed the handle of the door, swung it open and swept in the place like I owned it. She probably didn't think I'd already been to multiple different night clubs on several different occassions and that I was completely used to the scene. I flashed my fake ID, which I wouldn't be needing in about a year's time, and ordered a beer from the bar.

Drink in hand, I walked through the place, scanning the area slowly. Was Hanazono here . . . ?

Suddenly, people started screaming and cheering and throwing money at the stage. I turned to see what the commotion was all about. Two girls were on the stage in skimpy "clothing," I suppose you could call it, dancing and maneuvering around the poles. I rolled my eyes. I thought pole dancing was stupid. It's not even dancing. It's just girls in hardly any clothing rubbing themselves up against a pole. I guess a lot of people think that's sexy, but . . .

These girls weren't even that hot. They were like, five feet tall and looked exactly the same, except one of them had wavy hair. It was like frikken Mary Kate and Ashley, for God's sake.

Then I almost vomitted when I realzed it was Hanazono up on stage. And the other one I guess must have been her sister.

My new teacher was a pole dancer at a night club with her sister, who I believe was _also _a teacher.

Finally they stopped dancing and turned to the crowd. My teacher, the one with the straight hair, took hold of the mic. "Who wants our company for free tonight, huh?" The crowd burst into yells and screams, and Hanazono combed through the crowd with her eyes. She spotted me and her rouged lips curled into a smile. She thrust her hand out and pointed at me. "You sir! You are our lucky winner!"

A light shone on me, so bright it made my eyes water. The guy standing next to me slapped me on the back and told me I was lucky. I felt like ramming my head into that stupid pole of theirs.

The two girls hopped off stage and ran over to me, leading me to a private room. They closed the door. I sat down heavily and grumpily on a chair.

"So this is your game, huh? I think I could've guessed if you guys didn't look like small children," I said, a scowl on my face.

They exchanged a glance. My teacher waved her hand at the other. "This is my sister, Chiori."

She winked at me with a smile. "Or as I'm known at the club, Chichi."

"Do you think I should tell the school board about your second jobs? 'Cause I do. I really don't think they'd appreciate having strippers for teachers," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

Hanazono stepped closer to me and cupped her hands around my face. I knew what was coming; suddenly she was sucking my face off. She didn't show it as she nibbled my lip and tried to stick her tongue in my mouth, but I knew she was surprised that I wasn't reacting, like, at all. Finally she detached herself from me, looking a little miffed.

I sat there, same as before, with a hard expression and my hands crossed over my chest. I rolled my eyes. "You guys are lame."

The sisters exchanged a slightly horrified glance. 'Chichi' looked at me with a big frown. "Kinomoto was right! You _are _a delinquent!"

My eyes instantly narrowed. I snapped my gaze to lock with hers and stood with enough force that my chair shot backwards, scraping across the floor. I took one step forward. "How do you know her?" I saw fear in poor Chichi's eyes. "Why did you make me come here?" I looked over at Hanazono, who was also looking a little worried. What the hell kind of delinquent did they think I was, they looked like they thought I was just gonna beat the shit out of them!

Then Chichi pulled her frown back and glared at me. "I work at Kinomoto's school. There are rumours floating around that she has a boyfriend. A juvenile delinquent boyfriend. And yet she's moving in on _my _man!" She grit her teeth, looking really angry. I could tell that this lady wasn't really the nice little doll she played at. She was vicious and angry. "I hate her! She's such a-"

My hand shot out before I could stop it and covered her mouth before she could finish her sentence. Anger flared in my eyes. "Don't you _ever _speak about Sakura that way."

A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek, but she held her defiant expression. Hanazono was frozen beside us. I tore my hand away from her mouth, disgusted, and headed towards the door.

"So I guess it's true then," Chichi called out to me. "You two really _are _a couple!"

I glowered at her over my shoulder, then swept out of the room and slammed the door behind me.

* * *

The next day at lunch, I sat pondering behind the portables with a cigarette in my mouth. I couldn't get what Chichi had said out of my mind; that Sakura was "moving in on her man". Was that true? I ran my fingers irritably through my hair. Finally I stood and paid a visit to Hanazono.

She looked up at me and a guilty look crossed her eyes. "Li-kun . . ."

"What exactly does your she-devil sister plan to do with the information gathered from the club?" I asked.

Hanazono looked away. "Well . . . she wants to reveal it to everyone that you and her an item."

A feeling of dread entered my stomach. What would the people at her new school do when they found that out . . . ? Would she be fired again . . .? This time Mizuki's magic wouldn't be around to save her . . .

I started to turn away, but Hanazono stopped me. "Li-kun. I'm truly . . . really sorry. My sister is a rotten person, I know. I'm sorry. I actually really like you, Li-kun, and I didn't mean to put you through any trouble."

After a long moment, I nodded and left. I saw Mizuki in the hallway, and she beckoned for me to join her in her office. Her expression said her news wasn't too good.

* * *

"Syaoran . . ." Mizuki's expression was uneasy.

" . . . Yes?" I replied, her unease rubbing off on me.

She took in a deep breath. "You need thirty credits to graduate from high school."

My eyes narrowed. "And?"

She shook her head. "You don't have enough. You're going to have to come back again next year to complete it."

It took a while to process that. Then my stomach dropped. "That means . . ."

She shook her head, looking totally depressed by it. "That means you'll have to wait another whole year before you can see Sakura-chan again."

I sighed and put my head in my hands. After a few moments like that in silence, I stood and thanked Mizuki quietly. Then I left her alone in her office.

I knew there was another option. It was one I really didn't want to have to use, but everything was happening all at once. Maybe this option would save Sakura the trouble and the pain as well? I swallowed hard, hatred burning through my veins at the thought. But Sakura was so much more important than _him. _

I took a deep breath. First things first. I needed to call Daisuke.

* * *

**Sakura's Point of View**

I was in the middle of teaching my fourth period class when Chiori burst through the door. She looked pissed and smug at the same time. I put my dry erase marker down, my brows pulling together. "Can I help you?"

All of sudden, another figure shoved Chiori out of the way before she could speak. My eyes widened immensely when I saw who it was.

Syaoran stood in the door frame, panting and sweaty. His chestnut hair was even more disheveled than usual. He smiled at me.

"Syaoran!" I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"You!" Chiori hissed at him.

Syaoran snapped, "Shut up, pole dancer," to her, and suprisingly, she did shut up. I'd have to question that later . . . "pole dancer?"

"Did you run here from Tomoeda High?" I asked, stepping closer to him.

He winked at me and nodded. "I'm special, remember."

I smiled at him. "Well . . . what are you doing here?" I lowered my voice. "We're not supposed to see each other, remember?"

That's when I noticed his smile was bitter sweet. "Sakura . . . I'm going back to Hong Kong."

* * *

**Whaaaaaaat? Syaoran's going back to Hong Kong? HMM! What will this lead to! I dunno! :D Review to find out, please! Review, review ~ ! Tell me what you think of the Hanazono's being pole dancers! xD **


	31. Chapter 31

**The New Teacher**

**Chapter 31**

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This chapter is short, yes, and not my best, but rather important...I hope, as always, that you still like it as we near the end of this long fanfiction...it's almost been two years, you know that? It seems not too long ago we were (I was xD) celebrating one year! MAN! No wonder so many people have stopped reviewing, this has been going on for way too long! XD So read on, my friends!

**Syaoran's Point of View**

"Are you sure, Syaoran?" Daisuke asked nervously.

I exhaled, and then nodded. "Yeah. If I go to Hong Kong-"

"You'll just be giving in to Dad," Daisuke interrupted, looking worried. "Haven't we been trying to run away from all that? Isn't that just what we've been doing all along?"

"But I won't be, Daisuke!" My voice raised slightly, though I didn't mean it to. "As soon as I get a diploma for high school, I'll be outta there and back here selling our music."

My younger brother's eyes locked with mine. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I blinked, and then shook my head. "No. You should do what you want to here. If you go back, Dad will take more advantage of you than me because he knows you're easier to break down than me. No offense," I added quickly.

He smiled sadly. "None taken. It's true. All right, Syaoran. I guess you should do it."

I smiled widely at him, though it wasn't a completely happy smile. I knew it would be hard for me alone in Hong Kong. Especially without Daisuke there to comfort me. I knew it would be hard for Daisuke, too. But I couldn't bear the thought of being away from Sakura for two more years. Going to Hong Kong for eight months wouldn't be so hard compared to that.

I stood, brushed my clothes off, wrapped my arms briefly around Daisuke and then swept quickly out of the room as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Coming out of flash-back mode, I looked down at Sakura. She was horror stricken at the news. I swallowed hard, feeling my heart drop. I heard the bell ring and the students in her classroom filed out slowly and awkwardly, unsure of what they shouldd do. They sickened me with their clean cut, crisp uniforms and I glared at them as they walked past me.

As soon as all of the students were gone, Sakura slammed the door shut. Chichi was taken by surprise but quickly turned angry. She turned away and Sakura grabbed my hand and led me to the window. She opened it and slipped outside. Smirking, I followed her.

"Resourceful, aren't you?" I said as we walked away from the school. "Sure you should be skipping?"

"It's my lunch break," she said coldly. She stopped suddenly in front of me, her back still turned to me.

I stepped closer to her. "I'm going to Hong Kong for eight months," I breathed. I felt it needed repeating.

She whipped around suddenly and I noticed tears in her eyes as she glared at me. I held up my hands in defense, not sure what she would do. Then she threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder. Surprised, I put my arms around her as well.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"It's actually more of a happy thought," I told her. She looked up at me like I was insane. I smiled. "Mizuki-sensei told me today that I would need to come back again next year if I wanted to graduate. I don't have enough credits to get my diploma."

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Then, yes, I wouldn't be able to see you for a whole extra year."

"What does that have to do with Hong Kong?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"I can get my high school diploma in eight months from an elite school in Hong Kong if I tell my dad I agree to be the heir."

"But then you'll be gone for more than eight months if you're his heir! And you won't be able to fulfill your dream of rockstar-ism!"

I laughed. "Don't worry about it." I hugged her tighter. "I'll be fine. _We'll _be fine."

She exhaled slowly until she finally relaxed and leaned into me.

* * *

I stood outside the main office of the School Board building, a paper gripped firmly in my hand. I took a deep breath and walked in confidently, with my head held high. The receptionists smiled up at me. "Do you have an appointment?" one of them asked.

I didn't smile back. "Yes. With Li."

She nodded, her smile wavering slightly. She bent down and pressed a button on her intercom. "Li-sama, your 4:40 appointment is here to see you."

A staticky grunt of consent from the other end, and I was allowed in. I went up a few floors in an elevator and stopped on his. I knocked on his door and leaned casually against the wall. His eyes widened when he opened the door.

"What are you doing here?"

I stood up straight, one hand in my pocket, and held out my hand with the papers. "Here."

He took the papers, frowning, looking for more of an answer, but I swivelled around on my heel and walked back to the elevator. As the doors slid closed behind me, I heard the envelope tear open and a chuckle of satisfaction that made my blood boil.

* * *

**Sakura's Point of View**

"I can't believe he's really leaving!" Chikafuji wailed beside me. Samurakami patted him on the back as he bawled, rolling his eyes at me. I smiled. Syaoran told them he was going to Hong Kong to get his diploma quicker, which was true. Only he left out the part about being the Li Corps' new heir. And now, here we were, seeing him off at the airport. My being there techinically illegal, of course. Oops.

Syaoran came back from the luggage area, looking apathetic. I smirked at him, and he glared at me. "What?" he challenged.

I crossed my arms. "Stop trying to act all tough, macho man. I can see the tears welling up behind your eyes."

He snorted defiantly, mimicking my arm crossing. "Pssh. I'm glad to be leaving this crowd of losers." He nodded his chin toward his friends that had come to see him off. Everyone was there; Samurakami, Chikafuji, Daisuke, Yamazaki, Rika, Chiharu, even Naoko.

"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice said from behind me. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to see Eriol, hand in hand with Tomoyo.

"I was wondering where you were!" I scolded my navy haired student. "I thought you weren't coming and I was gonna give you detention for a month!" An awkward silence fell as I realized what I'd said wrong. "Uhm, I'd tell someone to give you detention for a month, that is."

"Stupid," Syaoran muttered beside me.

"Shut up!" I hissed. "Be happy he came!"

Syaoran leveled his gaze with Eriol's. "I am."

Something dinged in the airport and a lady's voice came over the speakers, telling all the passengers of Syaoran's flight to go to area A5. Everyone sucked in a breath, and Chikafuji was the first to burst out crying loudly again and attack him with a hug. Daisuke followed, then Yamazaki and Chiharu, until everyone was suffocating him with a hug. He breathed a laugh and we all reluctantly let go of him.

He sighed meaningfully and said, "Well, I guess I should be going." He looked at me.

I stepped forward shakily, and then suddenly I was in his arms. Suddenly I was kissing him and holding back tears with a painful lump in my throat. I memorized the feel of his lips, of his body against mine, holding me, knowing for sure that I wouldn't see him for eight months. Then I let go and stepped back again, red rimming my eyes, my lip trembling. Syaoran's eyes were unnaturally shiny as well.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and hugged Eriol hard, then swept off to area A5 to board his flight. When he was out of sight, I sucked in a staggered breath and I felt Tomoyo squeeze my hand reassuringly.

I gripped her hand hard. "It'll be okay, Sakura," she whispered, putting her other arm around my shoulder. Her eyes were teary too. "You'll both be fine."

Boarding didn't take long as he was on a small, exclusive plane and we were soon watching it soar into the sky. I choked involuntarily, and Tomoyo's grip tightened on my shoulders. I rested my head against her and let the tears fall freely over my lashes, my throat and my heart burning.

* * *

**Aaand, he's gone! How will this develop? I'll probably skip to the end of the eight months in the next chapter. How does that sound? Tell me in a review. ;) Again, sorry for the short, poor quality chapter but at least it was a fast update. :P Please REVIEW! :D**


	32. Chapter 32

_**The New Teacher**_

_**Chapter 32**_

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**I just booked the other day how much better this story was at the beginning. Gosh, what's happening to my imagination? XD Sorry to all of you, this story got crappy :P It's almost over though, don't worry. ;) This chapter would've been up sooner, but I had Theatre Night at my school and that sucked an entire week out of me. **

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**Syaoran's Point of View**

_No no no no no no no no no no no! It wasn't supposed to happen this way! _

My legs were burning and shaking as I forced them to keep moving at top speed. I could hear them catching up behind me. Yelling to me. I tuned them out. I wouldn't listen.

I passed the elevator and tentatively pressed the button. I felt incredibly lucky when it opened right away. I threw myself in, hit a random floor and the 'door close' button as soon as I could, and collapsed in an exhausted heap on the floor. My breaths came out heavily as I panted and gasped hungrily for air. Sweat trickled down my neck and anger swelled inside of me. I didn't expect this. I really didn't expect this.

I put my head in my hands and thought about that first day.

* * *

_I looked around my room, astonished. All of the rooms were furnished like this? I shook my head. That's just ridiculous._

_The door clicked open behind me, and I turned. A guy about my height with tanned skin and sandy blond hair, almost brown, walked in hand in hand with a girl. The girl made me suck in a breath. Her auburn hair fell to her shoulders and curled up around her face. Her emerald green eyes were smiling and her pink lips were laughing. _

_She was like . . . an exact image of Sakura. _

* * *

I tangled my fingers into my hair, getting angry at myself all over again. I couldn't believe what I'd done. I couldn't believe what she'd done. I couldn't believe what they'd done! I couldn't believe anything around here!

The light of the elevator flickered and buzzed. I clenched my teeth.

* * *

_The guy saw me and smiled, his blue-green eyes lighting up. He held a hand out, and I grabbed it, smiling back. _

"_You must be Syaoran," he said. "I'm your roommate, Erik Warren."_

_I nodded. "Syaoran Li." My eyes drifted to the girl. _

"_Oh," he said, remembering her. He put his arm around her shoulders, grinning crazily. "This is my girlfriend, Baoyu."_

_Baoyu smiled and it was like being punched in the gut. If I could just chop off her hair, she'd look exactly like Sakura. _

"_Do you know anyone here, Syaoran?" she asked. _

_I smiled, recovering, and shook my head. "No. Just you guys, I guess."_

_She giggled. I looked away, feeling kind of angry. _

_Erik said, "You can hang with us tonight if you want. You meet the gang."_

_Baoyu made air quotes when he said "the gang," and then giggled. She giggled a lot more than Sakura, I guess. _

_I nodded, trying not to roll my eyes at Baoyu's excessive giggling. "That'd be cool. I'd like that."_

_Erik patted me on the shoulder. "All right then. Let's go show the gang our new buddy!" _

* * *

I'd liked it. I'd had a lot of fun. As much as I could away from all of my friends in Tomoeda. All of my real friends. I exhaled slowly, shaking my head at the same speed. Too much. It was all too much. I felt like I was in a bad soap opera or a psychological thriller movie or something. I felt like crying, too. Just letting it all out. Forget about everything that had happened here . . . think of Sakura, and Eriol, and Daisuke, think of the band and of all my friends at school . . . they'd be graduating in a month or so. Sakura would be expecting me back.

The elevator dinged, and as soon as the doors started to open I leapt to my feet and pressed the button so they closed again. Then I pressed the highest floor, so it would take the longest to get there.

Then I slumped back against the wall again, feeling the need to beat someone up. I hadn't been able to do that in a long time. Not that Sakura would approve. I smiled a little to myself. Thoughts of Sakura always did that to me. I'd picture what she'd say and . . .

* * *

_"So you like it so far here, Syaoran?" Baoyu asked._

_I nodded, putting on a smile. They were getting easier to put on these days. "Yeah. I actually really like it here. I guess I can credit it to having a lot of fun with you guys." I shook my head. "I couldn't have imagined this when I was on the plane over here. But now, a month and a half in, me and Erik are like . . ." I grinned at her, thinking of something I'd probably never say back in Japan. "Like BFFs."_

_She laughed, throwing her head back so her hair bounced behind her and tumbled around her shoulders. The moon was shining a mystical light on her through the floor-to-ceiling window in the living area of our dorm. She looked so much like Sakura. Sometimes I would actually think it was her, if I saw her in my peripheral vision. Then the heartache at not being able to see her started again. _

_I looked at Erik, the face now so familiar to me, sound asleep on the Lay-Z-Boy leather recliner. He was so full of life, and he was so good-natured he could almost be foolish sometimes. We had become close over the past few weeks. We hung out together, we laughed together, we ate together, we watched late night movies on our Plasma flat screen HD TV together, hell, we lived together, and it was pretty damn great. I almost felt guilty for having so much fun with him, I felt like I was cheating on Eriol. _

"_Of course, Naseer is just as much fun."_

_Naseer, our Pakistani friend, was such a party animal. He could hold even more booze than me. It was pretty insane. He's charming, charismatic, and when you throw in his exotic good looks, he's got all the girls hooked. He was the next best to Erik. _

_Baoyu laughed again. "Remember yesterday? Naseer was giving Professor Chen a lecture on funnel drinking!"_

_I grinned. Erik had been backing him up with "yes sir"s and "that's so right!" while me and Baoyu were just dying of laughter. _

_Baoyu looked into my eyes with a look I couldn't quite decipher. "I'm glad you're having fun, Syaoran."_

* * *

I had been trying to be the good kid, to keep my real self burrowed inside of me until I went back to Japan, and then suddenly it was almost too easy being the good kid. New friends, a new life . . . is that what _he_ wanted?

Well not anymore. The truth was out now. The bindings were breaking on the real Syaoran. He was getting ready to beat the hell out of someone, anyone. Ready for Sakura to calm him down and laugh for him. For Eriol to wink knowingly at him and tease him about Sakura. For Mizuki to scold him. For Daisuke to comfort him. For the band to play him a tune so he could shriek out all that he was holding in and make a one-time Screamo hit.

That was what Syaoran wanted. That was what _I _wanted. After what I'd done . . . after all that had happened.

* * *

_"Say, Syaoran, do you have a girlfriend? I don't remember you ever mentioning one," Baoyu asked._

_I didn't want to mention anything about Sakura to them. _

_I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Back in Japan."_

"_What's she like?"_

"_. . . Amazing. Just . . . amazing." A warm feeling filled my stomach as I let thoughts of her fill my mind momentarily._

"_What does she look like?"_

_I looked down at Baoyu. If I squinted, she could be Sakura. But I couldn't tell her that . . ._

_She touched my arm lightly. Her eyes were sparkling and slowly closing as she leaned closer to me and so gently touched her lips to mine. _

_It felt like only five seconds. I don't know. Maybe it was five minutes. But I pulled away abruptly, the fog clearing my mind. I hated coming to these parties now. Six months ago, sure they were fun, but now, six months later, they were getting old. I hadn't even had that much to drink._

_I shook my head. "I won't do this. I have a girlfriend in Japan that I love more than I love anyone else. And, I really like Erik. I don't want to hurt him." _

_I almost puked. Do you know how much effort it took me to say that? To be the Syaoran that she thought she knew so well? Well, the real Syaoran would've just shoved her away, glared at her, and left._

_I shook my head at her and swept out of the room. _

* * *

It wasn't me. It was her. She thought she was so seductive, that she could just have any guy she wanted on top of the great guy she already had. But her kissing me just brought on a wave of emotion for Sakura and I suddenly wanted nothing more but to be back in Japan again.

The two months after that were harder. It took more effort to be the good kid, to not hit anyone or give them dirty looks or order them around or swear. I found myself wanting Japan a lot. Needing Japan, even.

And then . . . there was today.

* * *

_"Well, graduation is finally here, eh, buddy?" Erik said, grinning at me._

_I looked around the room. "Yep. I'm gonna miss this place." Whatever, as long as I got back to Japan, screw my dorm room. _

"_Yeah. So what're you gonna do after you get your diploma?" he asked, fixing his tie in the mirror. _

"_I'm gonna pack my stuff and go right back to Japan," I told him. _

_He nodded. "Cool."_

_There was an awkward silence that I was suspicious of. Erik and I were close enough now that there weren't any awkward silences. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was just looking gleeful as he sorted out his suit and fixed his hair. _

_I shook the feeling off and looked back in my own mirror. My suit was nothing special, but formal enough. And I, naturally, looked incredibly sexy in it. I smiled a little into the mirror. Soon enough, Sakura would have all of this sexiness back in her arms. _

"_All right! You ready?" Erik called. _

_I breathed in. "Yeah."_

_We headed to the auditorium where the ceremony was being held. Erik led me to a back room where we could go backstage without being seen. _

_Instantly I went on red alert. No one was there. Not backstage, not in the auditorium. I looked around slowly at Erik. He was leaning coolly against the wall, a hand in his pocket, a sly smile on his lips. Not like Erik at all. _

_I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. "Dear Father put you up to this, didn't he?"_

_Erik stood up straight and studied his fingernails, the smug smile growing. "And he paid handsomely for it, too."_

_I swung at Erik, but he dodged it. I ran past him and out into the hallway again. Naseer and Baoyu stood outside, Naseer in a suit and Baoyu in a short, dark purple dress._

"_Well," I said, "looks like we're all done up for Grad. Too bad there isn't one."_

* * *

Daddy's just great, isn't he? He deserves one of those No. 1 Dad mugs, huh?

The elevator shook violently. I jumped to my feet, looking up. A panel was being removed from the ceiling of the elevator. Obviously I had no place to run.

"Are you insane?" I called up to them. "This is a moving elevator!"

"So?" Baoyu jumped down.

I stepped back, holding up my fists. My new friend sneered back at me.

Suddenly she lunged at me with her fist extended. I caught it easily and threw her aside. I looked up at the elevator floor gauge, then dragged her up to her feet again. I saw a drop of sweat roll down her cheek.

"So what now?" I growled, holding her wrist tightly.

She glared back at me. "What do you think? We're taking you to a private island of your Dad's. One where you won't know where you are or how to get out." She smiled back at me brightly.

The elevator dinged pleasantly and the doors opened at the top floor. Erik stood in the opening, smiling cruelly.

* * *

"_The real graduation isn't until tomorrow, am I right?" I asked, hoping I was right. _

"_Correct," Erik said from behind me. _

"_So the diplomas are all here, aren't they?" _

_His smile stretched. "Yep." He reached into his back pocket. "In fact, yours is right here."_

_He unfurled the paper. It was actually my high school diploma. If I could get that paper back to Japan, all of my problems with Sakura would be solved. _

_I took in a deep breath and lunged at Erik. He didn't expect me to be feinting; I jumped to the left and started running. _

* * *

And that leaves me at the beginning of this chapter.

Anyway.…

Erik's mean smile sparked anger in me.

"So, lets get this straight. You had to actually get paid to have friends? How anti-social are you, really?" I sneered.

Erik rolled his eyes. "I won't waste time playing this game of sarcasm with you."

"Fine." I drew my arm back and threw it in his face, too quickly for him to register. He groaned in pain and put his hand to his nose. I dodged around him and ran out of the elevator. Baoyu shouted and Erik growled as they caught up with me.

I was nearing the end of the hallway. A floor-to-ceiling window was at this particular end of the hallway.

I mentally sorted through my options as I ran. I was on the top floor of a very tall building. I could jump. Nothing I haven't done before, right?

I held my arms up in front of my face and crashed through the window. My blood pumped in my ears as shards lodged in my flesh. The shattering sound seemed to echo forever as I fell, which also seemed to take forever, like I was moving in slow motion.

A shout from Erik brought me back to reality. I twisted my body around to face him. I'd heard the word "diploma" in his shout and I knew he was saying something about my lost diploma.

I grinned devilishly at him and held my very own diploma out for him to see. His eyes widened and his hand went to his pocket. I twisted around again as he registered that I'd stolen it when I'd dodged around him in the elevator.

The wind was whistling in my ears, the crash forgotten. The ground was coming to meet me at a quickening pace. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, spreading my hands out beside me. The whistle lessened and so did the force of the air against my body. When I opened my eyes I was landing on the ground. My knees buckled and I fell backwards, but, filled with in the moment adrenaline, I was fine.

I stood and started running again. I whipped my phone out and called Wei.

"I'm at the school. Pick me up—now."

I could almost hear him smile. "Yes, sir."

* * *

I finally heard the copter's wings chopping and looked up to see a ladder being lowered down to meet me. I smiled and grabbed it, wondering if he'd thought of it or if he'd seen it in a movie.

As soon as my feet were in the helicopter, I registered the wounds from the glass and the aching in my knees from my rough landing and passed out.

* * *

**This was a confusing chapter, sorry. :S It was written after a break of sorts, so I hope you can forgive me. The next one should be pretty good….we're nearing the end, my dear friends. ;) **

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	33. Chapter 33

_**The New Teacher**_

_**Chapter 33**_

* * *

**Ah yes. A new chapter. I apologize in advance for how bad it is. :S I was writing it, thinking, "damn, this is horrible writing…" XD I hope you can forgive me! GAH I can't believe how bad this entire story has gotten…it used to be so witty and fresh but now it's like….geh. I'm sorry to everyone… /exasperated face/**

**On a lighter note, I'm posting this the day before the two year anniversary of this story! That's why it's so terrible, it's been going on too long! XP **

**

* * *

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**Syaoran's Point of View**

I heard a beeping sound to my right and light breathing to my left. I opened my eyes slowly, and found the left one was covered by something. I lifted my hand to see what it was; my arm ached in protest to the movement but my fingers were able to graze the bandage wrapped around my head. I had to move my head to see the left side of the room, and that made my neck sore.

Wei was sitting in a chair, a book in his lap. He was smiling up at me, the book suddenly forgotten.

"Wei?" I croaked. "Is this a hospital room?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir. And you've been asleep for four days now. How are you feeling?"

My eyes widened. "Four days? What happened? Are we—in Japan?"

"Yes, sir. We're in the Tomoeda Hospital. You have multiple cuts all over your body, caused by the shards of glass from the window you shattered. The bones around your knees are fractured and your right kneecap is cracked. A shard also cut deeply into your temple, stretching over to the corner of your eye…" he trailed off.

My right eye narrowed. "And?"

He cleared his throat, recollecting himself. "Well . . . your sight might not come back for a few months."

Now my right eye widened again. "What?" My voice cracked, which would have been embarrassing if it wasn't only Wei.

Wei sighed, closing his book and smoothly getting to his feet. "Yes. But the doctor assured you it will come back, it will just take a few months."

"Like when?"

"December."

"December?" I clenched my teeth angrily, which made my head throb.

"Master, please don't get cross and hurt yourself further," Wei scolded.

I reluctantly unclenched my teeth and the throbbing stopped.

"It's the beginning of August, Syaoran-sama. It really isn't such a long way away."

I leaned back against the hospital bed with an aggravated sigh and closed my eye. "Great. When do I get out of the hospital?"

"In about a week. You'll be on crutches for a while, though." Wei chuckled. "When I told the doctor what happened, he was surprised you didn't break your legs and your spine entirely." He winked.

I sighed again, but nodded. That's what you get for jumping out a window in a really high building, I guess. Magic or no.

* * *

A week later, I was hopping down the streets on my crutches. The first place I decided to go was Eriol's.

His face lit up in shock when he opened the door. "Syaoran . . ."

I smiled crookedly at him. "Long time no see, buddy."

Eriol broke into a smile and wrapped an arm around me. "Too long, bro. Too long."

Soon enough, we were sitting at his kitchen table. Eriol was suppressing a grin and shaking his head. "I have too many questions, man."

"We'll start with this." I held up my diploma, creased and torn in places. "I graduated, at least. Not without a fight, of course."

My friend frowned at me. "You started a fight over a diploma?"

"Actually," I said matter-of-factly, "I played the good kid the whole time."

Eriol's eyes stretched wide, the whites around his pupils showing. "Serious? How are you not . . . dying?"

I chuckled dryly. "I made new friends—I thought I'd made new friends, anyway. I basically made a whole other Syaoran that would be friends them. And then, they tricked me into going to 'grad' a day before the real grad so they could friggin' kidnap me and bring me to my father . . . anyway, my dad was paying them the whole time, but they were stupid enough to wave my real diploma in my face. So I ran, jacked the diploma, and jumped through a window." I gestured to myself, indicating my injuries. "But yeah, it was seriously really hard not to start punching people's brains out and cussing them off."

We exchanged a smile.

"Have you seen Sakura yet?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No . . . I don't know when I will."

He pointed to my diploma. "You've graduated now."

My face darkened. "I feel like Father has something else up his sleeve, though. I don't want to involve Sakura too early on. He'll for sure make a move."

Eriol nodded soberly, his gaze locking with mine.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Which reminds me. I should probably visit my humble abode."

* * *

I stood facing my door for a couple of minutes. A wave of nostalgia had washed over me, and I knew that wave would be an entire ocean when I saw Tomoeda High. I hadn't been here in _eight months. _And now I was finally home.

I took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. I stepped in and glanced around. Clean, as always. Wei wasn't there, I knew that. He'd gone to tell Daisuke I was back and out of the hospital.

I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. My heart swelled when I saw that Wei had stocked it with all of my favourite foods. I grabbed a beer and continued on to my bedroom.

I sat down on my bed, inhaling all of the old scents I'd missed so much back in Hong Kong. The fabric softener Wei used on our sheets, a hint of cologne that had become permanent over the many years of using the same brand.

Suddenly my head whipped around and I was on my feet, knees bent as much as I could with fractured bones, and arms up, ready to fight.

The chair in front of my desk swivelled around to face me, and Father smiled up at me.

"Lemme guess, you've been waiting for me?" I sneered. "I don't think you understand how stereotypical that whole spin-around-in-the-chair thing was."

His smile got a little colder. "So."

I cocked an eyebrow. "So . . . ?"

He stood, o so gracefully gathering himself out of the chair. "It seems Erik and the others failed me. You still got away, and with your diploma, too."

My eyes narrowed. "Yes, I did. Now you can leave and never come back."

"Oh but Syaoran, I do so want you to be my heir," he said, and I could almost hear real pleading in his voice. But this man was never genuine.

"I'm never going to be your heir," I hissed.

His expression became even icier. "You're too disobedient of a child, Syaoran."

I clenched my fists. "Oh yeah?" I pointed at the bandage on my head. "I like jumping out of windows. Let's make this more public."

I opened the window and, using my crutches, threw myself out of it. I stuck the two crutches out in front of me, and they absorbed most of the impact; as they struck the ground, I pushed myself off of them with my hands, did a flip for good measure, and somersaulted to safety on the ground. Majestic, I know.

I saw him climb up onto the window ledge after me, and I snatched up my crutches. As I got my balance, I watched my father leap out of the window . . . and strategically place himself so that he landed on a transport truck. Then he jumped onto the ground.

I swore at him, and he walked toward me slowly. I looked over my shoulder; people from the park across the street were staring and making their way over. Father's eyes were shifting around, too.

"Come on then," I urged. "Attack me."

"Are you sure you can't just willingly come with me?" he asked, smoothing his hair with the palm of his hand.

I told him to go and do something that might very well be impossible. Not to mention inappropriate.

His eyes were a steely colour now. I was embarrassing him in public now. It was on now.

He reached into his blazer jacket and pulled something out. It glinted in the sunlight—a knife. A dagger, actually. My breath caught in my throat for a moment; how was he going to attack with a dagger? Would he throw it, would he run at me with it, would he run at me with it and then throw it, would he stab himself—

Suddenly it was cutting through the air. I braced myself for it, trying to look for a way to dodge it. It looked like it wasn't even going to hit me . . . but Father's aim wasn't that bad. I knew that for sure.

Then it hit me. Not the knife… His aim wasn't bad at all. His target just wasn't _me. _

I swivelled around to look over my left shoulder as the dagger soared past me. My good eye scanned the crowd, searching for the one it was aimed at. I found her immediately.

My crutches clattered to the pavement and I took off running, ignoring the sharp pains shooting through my knees. I couldn't make it fast enough—I couldn't make it fast enough—

There was a shriek, and Sakura staggered backward then fell to her knees. The dagger had pierced her left arm, and blood was quickly pooling around it.

Finally, I made it to her. I bent and something in my leg snapped, but I pretended not to notice even though it ached horribly.

My fingers wrapped around the blade—cold and unfeeling, kind of like the certain someone that owned the dagger—and I pulled it out. Sakura whimpered again as blood leaked from her new injury.

I looked up at Tomoyo, who was watching on in horror. "It's not deep, there's just a lot of blood. Try to get it wrapped up."

I got to my feet once again, and when I looked back at my father, observing me so closely, I felt a surge of white hot anger rush through me. He'd hurt Sakura—he'd pay.

I felt a tug on my arm. Sakura dragged me back down to her level and crashed her lips against mine.

It was amazing. Not only were her lips warm and soft like always, like what I'd been dreaming of for the past eight months, but they sent a powerful bolt of energy down my spine, filling me with fire. I felt rejuvenated. Like for the past eight months, I'd been sleeping and I'd only just woken up.

While it filled every part of me with happiness, it also made me feel even more angered. That man had hurt Sakura. _I was going to kill him. _

Yet again, I got to my feet. I could have sworn I was engulfed in flames, licking at the fury inside of me. I fixed a murderous glare on my father, and I saw him calculating in his mind what his next move would be.

All of my pain forgotten, I charged him. I felt power crackling at my fingertips; I hadn't felt this sensation since we defeated Satan/Ayumu. I knew Father could sense something wasn't quite right. He braced himself as I approached. When I was close enough, I outstretched my hand, and he did the same, to block me. But before either of us made contact, a bolt of invisible energy shot out from my palm and he was suddenly sprawled on the ground.

I glowered down at him as he recollected himself. Smoothing out his suit, he locked his gaze with mine.

After a while, he asked, "How are you suddenly so angered and filled with power?"

Immediately I answered him. "Because you hurt the woman I'm in love with."

Our eyes held again for another silent moment.

"You're foolish," he whispered, sharply shaking his head once.

My good eye narrowed at him. "You hesitated. You believe me, don't you?"

He hesitated again. "Something changed when you touched her. It's like . . . your aura became brighter and stronger."

"It did. She gave me strength. She always gives me strength, whenever I'm around her. Even . . . even just _thinking _about her makes me feel stronger. I barely made it through living in Hong Kong. But I was able to think about her, all the time, and I got through it." I chuckled dryly. "Besides, I didn't actually have any friends there anyway."

"I knew you weren't really going to school there so you could finally be my heir."

"Well gosh, I never would have guessed. Are you just so worried about me that you have to pay people to like me?" I said in a would-be sarcastic voice that came out acidic, my need to just punch him in the face growing.

His eyes narrowed. "Don't talk to me like that."

My voice lowered dangerously. "I will talk to you however I want."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as his eyes closed. "See, Syaoran, this is why I want you to be my heir. You're so ruthless, just like me."

My fist was flying before I even knew what was happening. Father staggered backward, attempting to regain his balance. "I am _nothing _like you. Don't ever compare us again."

His hands shot out and gripped my shirt forcefully. "Love has twisted you, Syaoran."

"No, Father, love has twisted _you. _Your _lack _of love has made you the old bastard you are today. You have to have loved someone, I know you have."

His eyes turned steely and he opened his mouth to say something. I knew it was going to be poisonous, I could almost smell it. But a smooth, feminine voice cut him off.

"Hello, my son. Hello, Minghua."

* * *

**MMMM, a new character. I bet you can guess who it is. XD And yes, I did give Syaoran's daddy a name, finally. :P Sorry again, this chapter was really sloppy but it was written in choppy pieces thanks to lots of homework. :l Meh. Please review, anyway! And everyone enjoy their winter break!**


	34. Chapter 34

_**The New Teacher**_

_**Chapter 34**_

* * *

_**Minghua's Point of View**_

Anger surged through my veins when I heard her voice. Cool and calm like always. I glanced over in her direction, straightening my posture and forcing my breathing to stay calm.

"It has been a long time, Yelan," I said, not bothering to attempt a smile. My gaze connected with hers, and it stayed there as she spoke again.

"I don't know what you two think you're doing," she said, tossing her long, smooth black hair over her shoulder, "but you're making a scene out of it."

"That's the point," Syaoran snarled, glaring at me.

My eye contact with Yelan broke as we both looked over at Syaoran.

"Father still thinks I'll become his little pet," he went on, clenching his fists, "no matter how much I refuse."

"He doesn't see his worth," I explained, casually flicking lint off of my suit jacket. "Anyway, Yelan, what brings you here?"

"You." Her eyes shot back to mine. They were the shade of brown that passed for black and seemed to be able to look into your innermost thoughts.

_Captivating eyes. _

"What have I done that would cause you to want to follow me here?" I asked nonchalantly.

She chortled, and it rung through my mind as a torturous echo. My knuckles became taut, and I slipped my hand in my pocket as to not betray any sign of emotion.

_A beautiful laugh. _

"You really must stop harassing our son as you are," she scolded lightly. "You should realize by now that he wishes not to go with you."

"He doesn't yet know what he wants," I lashed out too quickly, biting my tongue as soon as it came out. I caught the corner of her mouth twitch.

_Delicately shaped lips. _

"He's been drawn astray by the ridiculous misconception that he's in love," I finished, forcing the words to come out slowly.

The word love seemed to hang in the air between us. Our gazes were still locked together, like a challenge. Whoever looked away first lost.

Yelan drew in a breath, brushing her hair behind her ear with her hand.

_Slender fingers. _

"I doubt it's a 'ridiculous misconception,'" she declared. She gestured toward our son. "I've been in love before. I recognize the look in his eyes. I've had it once." Her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head ever so slightly. "And so have you."

Syaoran's head whipped in my direction, but I wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"Love is foolish," I replied in a quieter voice. "You taught me that."

* * *

_**Syaoran's Point of View**_

My head was swinging back and forth between my mother and my father. It was like I wasn't even there anymore. They were, like . . . lost in each other. Except they weren't all lovey dovey like Sakura and I can be. There was a stiff coldness in their unbroken gaze. It was sending goosebumps up my arms.

And now the weird things they were saying. Things about love—like Father would stand talking about love. Something inside me seemed to tell me that Father had been in love at one point. But that part of him had been burned at the stake or something, and now it was like he was incapable of it. I'll admit I was curious to find out what had happened to him. It must have had something to do with Mother, the way they were staring into each other's souls like they were.

"Hey," I interjected, taking a step forward, "what exactly is going on here?"

I was completely ignored.

"I taught you? I'd say you taught yourself," Mother said, the smallest frown forming between her brows.

Father was clenching his hands. "You dare say you had nothing to do with it?"

"I didn't. You were ridiculous about the whole thing and ended up broken!" Mother exploded—well, as much as Mother _can _explode. Which is basically raising her voice by barely a notch.

"You triggered everything, you made me do stupid things without thinking!" Father shot back, getting equally as angry. Now they were using their outside voices. Oooh. It's getting serious.

I was caught off guard by a sudden weight bumping into me from behind. Frowning, I craned my neck around to see what it was.

Sakura was gazing determinedly at my parents, leaning on me and pressing her palm against her injured arm.

"Hey," I asked, "are you sure you're okay?"

She waved me off. "I'm fine, don't worry about it. It's just a cut."

I rubbed my temples briefly, and then put my arm lightly around her waist. "So what are you over here for, exactly?"

She answered my question my raising her voice and calling out to my parents. "It seems like you two are having some marital problems."

They both stopped dead in their tracks and glanced over at Sakura, bewilderment evident in both pairs of eyes.

"Maybe we can all try and work them out?" Sakura suggested, flashing them an adorably innocent smile.

Mother and Father exchanged a glance of incredulity. I could almost hear their thoughts: _working it out? I've never considered that. I'm too stubborn and difficult to even think about considering something like that!_

Well, yeah. Something along those lines.

Mother forced a smile. "Dear child, it's not that simple."

Father seemed to be holding a vein back from exploding. "_Not that simple _is all you can say about it?" His jaw flew open as if he wanted to say something more, but then he turned on his heel and stormed away from the park.

I looked over at Mother questioningly. "Mother . . ."

"What happened between you two?" Sakura interrupted. "Please, tell me your side of the story."

My mother touched her fingers to her temples resignedly, sighing quietly. "Maybe you should focus on your wound."

"I'm _fine,_" she insisted for the second time. "Now tell me your side of the story."

Mother's eyes locked with mine for a moment. I shrugged, glancing down at Sakura with a hint of irritation. I was standing right beside her after she hadn't seen me for months, with only one eye and broken bones here and there. But no biggie, right? There was always my parents to worry about, after all.

I ground my teeth as my mother started her story reluctantly.

"It was so many years ago. _So many._" Mother's eyes grew a little distant, her gaze fixed on something I couldn't see. "We were so in love."

I raised my head as if she'd just yelled at me, my brows forming a frown of surprise, or maybe incomprehension. So I'd been right. "He was _in love? How?_"

She snapped out of her trance and looked up at me, smiling sadly. "He wasn't always like he is now, you know. He used to be so kind and fun. I loved him with all of my heart. And then you came along . . ." She shook her head. "It was perfect. I was in love with a successful CEO and we had a beautiful baby boy. And he was in love with me, too. Or . . . at least I thought he was." A shadow crossed her face.

"What happened, then?" Sakura urged, already completely engrossed in the story.

"His birthday was coming up. I wanted to make it extra special, extra romantic. So I hired someone to help me plan it all out. We were going to fly to Paris for a dinner on top of the L'arc du Triomphe. Then we were going to go to the Eiffel Tower to spend the night—I was having a room created near the top just for us."

"Excessive," I muttered under my breath. She heard and shot me a glare.

"I was always with the planner when he was at work, and around the house, I tried to keep my face hidden from him in fear that my expressions would give everything away. But I guess it was working too well." Her brows knit. "I caught him one day, in bed with some Japanese woman. I was so furious, so heartbroken . . ." She dropped her face into her hands. I stared in shock; I'd never seen my mother so distraught before in my life. "I went back to my planner companion and I seduced him. I wasn't thinking." She was shaking her head repeatedly now. "I just wanted to get back at him."

"Oh, Yelan," Sakura whispered.

"And then she got pregnant—his on the side Japanese woman," Mother went on.

"Daisuke," I realized.

Mother nodded, blinking rapidly now as red began rimming her eyes. It was making my chest constrict, seeing her like this. And knowing it was my father that was making her so upset. "His mother died shortly after giving birth to Daisuke. It turns out she wasn't in good health. The child had nowhere else to go. So Minghua dared to ask me to take him in and raise him as my own."

"And you did," I stated simply; was I just imagining that my head was spinning or was I really getting dizzy as I listened to this story?

She opened her mouth to say something, but choked and just nodded again instead while she cleared her throat. "I did. To be honest . . . I don't really regret it. Well, I didn't until you two ran away. It lead me to believe I'd done something wrong."

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong at all. We left because of Father." I narrowed my eyes. "Everything is because of him."

The tears were suddenly cascading down my mother's cheeks; I was so taken aback by the sight of them, especially in a public place such as the one we were in, I didn't know what to do. But Sakura nudged me forward, and before I knew it, I was wrapping my arms around my mother, murmuring comforting things to her.

After a few minutes, she composed herself and went to find a restroom where she could fix her make up.

I looked over at Sakura with a grin; we were finally alone together.

But my face fell when I saw she wasn't looking back at me. She was looking over at the spot where my father had disappeared in his fit of rage.

"I'm going to go find him," she announced, finally deciding to turn her eyes to me. "I don't think that that was all there is to this story."

"I think it is, Sakura," I insisted, unable to hide my annoyance any longer. "Sometimes people are just bad and do bad things, like my father. There isn't always a story behind it!"

"I know," Sakura said. "I know. But . . . I think in this case there is! How could he have gone from being so in love with your mom to having an affair and suddenly not loving her anymore?"

"Because he's an asshole!" I spat angrily. "Sakura, just leave it alone! They've lived like this for sixteen years! Nothing's going to change now!"

"Think what you will, I'm going to try anyway!" she shot back. She started to turn away from me, but I caught her arm.

"My father is scum, Sakura, that's all there is to it. Don't bother yourself with him. He's so completely not worth it," I argued.

"Everyone's worth something," she murmured, not meeting my eyes.

"Stop with this righteous crap, Sakura!" I begged. "I haven't seen you in _eight months!_ What about _us?_"

"It's not 'righteous crap!'"

My lips parted and I dropped her arm as if it were a slimy fish. "You didn't even hear the part about us, did you?"

She seemed to finally realize she was doing something wrong. Her eyes searched my face frantically. "Syaoran—"

"Did you even miss me? Did you even think about me while I was away?"

"Syaoran, don't say that!"

"Don't say what?" I asked, holding my arms out. "Don't say that you care more about my mother and father's long lost relationship than you do about your own? Well I will, because it seems to be true!"

"Syaoran." Her whisper was incredulous. "Why are you saying these things?"

I hadn't realized I was shouting. "Fine," I growled. "Go." I said it like a challenge.

Her gaze held mine for a moment, and then she looked at her feet, brow creased in worry. Then she spun around to chase after my father.

When she was out of sight, I sat down heavily on a bench and put my head between my wide spread knees, gripping the roots of my hair in frustration.

* * *

**Well! Didn't think their reunion would be a fight, did you? I hope you can forgive me for the wait for this chapter. There was exams, projects, other fics—I couldn't find the time. I finally decided what I was going to do for the ending of this fic once and for all. All I can say is, yes, there will be an epilogue and no, it won't be pointless. ****:) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do you agree with Sakura or Syaoran? Is there more to the story or is Minghua just an ass? XD Tell me in a review! And don't forget the poll on my profile about magic and this fic! I'm going to be closing it when The New Teacher finishes, which is gonna be soon, so if you haven't voted already, don't lose your chance! :P **

**And I don't know if you care, but I decided to move the whole A/N section down here cause it's easier and no one cares anyway, as I've said before. XD **


	35. Chapter 35

_**The New Teacher**_

_**Chapter 35**_

* * *

_**Sakura's Point of View**_

I didn't feel right walking away and leaving Syaoran simmering there like that. I didn't like that he was angry at me, and I wanted all of our problems to just go away but I also didn't feel right leaving Yelan and Minghua like that either. I knew there was something wrong with Yelan's story. There was something that Minghua had never told her.

I reached the corner where Syaoran's father had disappeared and stopped, wondering which way he'd gone. I scanned the area and saw the place he might've run off to. It was a quaint little café that didn't seem like his style at all. Which is why he would be there now, hiding so that no one would see him with his emotions out of check.

I dashed across the street and glanced in the window. I had to look hard to spot him, but sure enough, he was there—sitting in the corner seat, furthest away from the window, rubbing his temples harshly with two fingers.

I went into the small shop and ordered a latte, then went over to Minghua's table and sat down across from him. He glanced up in surprise, then gathered himself and stared at me icily.

"What are you doing here?" he asked abruptly, wringing his hands together as discreetly as he could.

I took a sip of my latte, taking my time swallowing. Then I set it down and wiped the foam away from my lip delicately with a napkin. I could see him holding back from strangling me. It was odd. I'd seen that look many times on Syaoran. I guess they were kind of alike, in a way.

Hopefully Syaoran will never know that thought crossed my mind.

"I'm here," I started slowly, "because I want to hear your side of the story."

"What story?" His gaze was still cold.

I narrowed my own eyes and fixed him with _my _chilly stare. "You know perfectly well which story I'm talking about. Now cough it up."

He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, no longer afraid to show that he was so irritated with me he could just pick up my hot coffee and throw it in my face.

"I won't leave you alone until you tell me," I warned.

He met my eyes and saw my pursed lips and knew that I was serious. He sighed, rubbed his temples one last time, and then sucked in a breath.

"We—"

"I know the first part. You were so in love. Syaoran made your world perfect. Then you cheated. No?" I interjected before he could even start.

He ground his teeth, shaking his head. I took another sip of my coffee.

"_I _didn't cheat. Not until _she _did," he spat.

I raised my eyebrows. A change in the story already.

"She started avoiding me one day. She wouldn't look at me, and she was never home. So one day, I decided to follow her." He licked his lips, recalling a bitter memory. "And I found that she was running off to meet some guy. They talked in whispers and she kept giggling excitedly."

I hid my smile. I know I shouldn't really have been _smiling, _but I was already putting the pieces together from Yelan's story to fit this one.

"I couldn't believe it. She was seeing some other guy. And there I was, thinking we were so completely in love. I felt . . ." He stiffened, suddenly guarded. Then he let his gaze wander to mine and something in my eyes told him he could trust me. His frame loosened again. "I felt _so stupid._" His voice was a whisper.

"So you ran off and cheated on Yelan to even the playing field," I continued for him. The smile was disappearing. Knots in my stomach were replacing it. Their relationship could have still been going on today, they could've been that adorable older couple if it weren't for one misunderstanding. It nearly brought tears to my eyes, but I shook them away. There wasn't time for this.

"I didn't mean to—it was—I wasn't—" he cut himself off with a frustrated sigh, running his hand over his salt and pepper hair. "It wasn't supposed to go on forever. It was just supposed to be one night. But then, the next day, Yelan was acting all cool and distant. So I reacted the same way. And the affairs continued." He clamped his fingers together until his knuckles turned white.

"And then Daisuke-kun came," I went on.

"I didn't expect that to happen. But what I really didn't expect was his mother _dying _two months later!" There was a wild look in his dark eyes that said he was reliving that day in his mind. "I didn't want to just give him to some crowded, filthy Chinese orphanage, and there was nowhere for him to go in Japan. So . . . I asked Yelan to take care of him. I was desperate. More desperate than I'd like to admit. Especially to you," he added, as if for safety. I smiled innocently back at him. "When we found out the girl was pregnant, things between Yelan and I became even chillier. When Daisuke was born, icier still. And then it just built up and we started seeing each other maybe once a year, not even. When Syaoran left, we stopped talking completely." He shrugged, his eyes in a faraway place. "This is the first time I've seen her since then."

"You haven't seen each other in that long?" I exclaimed.

"When you're who we are, and were, and something like that happens between you . . ." He shook his head a tiny bit. "Something inside of you dies."

"So what, you stopped believing in love completely and decided to hunt Syaoran down and try to crush his soul as well?" Now I was suddenly getting angry. "Why did you became such a ruthless man?"

"I just told you!" His words were a rumble ripped from his throat. "You can't beg me to tell you and then just get pissed!"

"I have a right to be pissed! You almost killed me, you ruined my boyfriend's life, you tricked me, you took my boyfriend away from me, and then before I even knew he was back you crept into his room and tried to like, convert him again! Even though he rejects you every time! God, you're like a teenage girl!" I thrust my finger towards the arm with the new found cut. "Hell, you even _cut _me! Like, literally!"

"Blame Yelan!" he yelled, and then bit down on his lip, hard.

"Do _not _blame me!"

I blinked, realizing a new voice had entered the conversation. I looked behind me, and hiding behind the wall leading to the bathroom, was Yelan. She stepped out from her hiding place, looking furious. Minghua went white. Then he flashed a glare at me. "You planned this?"

"No," I stammered. "I didn't know she was here."

As Minghua opened his mouth to yell at me some more, Yelan cut him off. "She didn't bring me along. I followed her."

Minghua stood, gritting his teeth. "Do you understand why everything is your fault now, Yelan?"

"No, I now see why it's your fault," she spat back.

"What?"

Their voices were rising in anger.

"You two never even shared your stories with each other, did you? You didn't even talk about your problems!" I shouted, getting to my feet suddenly too.

"I knew what happened, I didn't need to! It was obvious what her message was!" Minghua yelled back, anger masking the hurt in his voice.

"You have no idea what happened, you imbecile!" Yelan spat loudly.

"So tell me what happened!"

"I wasn't cheating with that man when you saw me!"

Minghua was taken aback. "What else could you have possibly been doing?"

"I was planning a romantic evening for the two of us in Paris for your birthday!"

All the shouting from our little corner had made the entire shop go quiet. All eyes were on us. I saw the man behind the counter start coming out to break it up, but I shook my head frantically at him.

Minghua's eyes were wide, his pupils small. His mouth hung open. ". . .What?"

"You cheated for nothing," Yelan went on, tears glazing her eyes. "And then I caught you cheating and I cheated for real."

"Why couldn't we all just have played fair?" I put in helpfully. They glared at me with red hot anger. I sank into my seat.

"Why did you cheat after you saw me cheating?" Minghua yelled.

"Why did you cheat after you THOUGHT you saw me cheating?" Yelan yelled right back. "You hypocrite!"

"You screwed everything up!" they both said at the same time. They both took a breath.

"I'M SORRY!"

The two had, in unison, shrieked the apology. There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone processed what had just happened and what was happening.

Yelan couldn't help the tears slipping from her eyelids again, and put her hand over her eyes, her lips twisting like they do when you sob. Minghua looked like he was near tears himself.

"I've cried twice today because of you," Yelan sobbed angrily. "You ass."

"I'm sorry." He stood up hesitantly, and Yelan ran over to him and flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

Tapping my foot anxiously, I stared a hole into the door in front of me, as if it would help Syaoran answer faster. I needed to tell him that the problem with his parents had been resolved. And then our problem was next.

Finally, the door creaked open. Syaoran set his cool gaze on me and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. "Yes?"

I swallowed. "Uhm, I just wanted to tell you that . . . your parent's problems have been fixed. They made up." I tried an innocent smile.

"I know. I heard," he replied, his eyes flicking over me once as he studied me. I wonder if he took in the nervous way I was fidgeting.

"You did?" I asked in surprise. "Are they back together?"

"No," he answered curtly.

I blinked and stared down at my feet. "Oh. I thought they'd . . ."

"After this long, it'll take some time if they do decide to get back together."

I bit the inside of my cheek and looked back up at him. "It looks like . . . there was more to their story after all, huh?"

He stood up straight suddenly, unfolding his arms and placing a hand on the doorknob. My heart started to beat agitatedly.

"Yep. It looks like you were right and I was wrong. It seems like you're happy to have brought my parents back together," he said, flashing me a grin showing all of his teeth that sent a chill down my spine. "I guess you have no more problems to solve, huh? Well I'll see you around then."

The back of my throat burned as he flung the door shut with one strong swing of his tanned arm. Before it close, I shot my foot out and the door smacked against it and creaked slowly open again. Syaoran was staring at me in surprise now; I looked up at him defiantly.

"Didn't that hurt? Like, a lot?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow smugly.

I opened my mouth to tell him no, but just then my foot throbbed and I threw myself at the ground to cradle it, moaning in pain. Syaoran slapped his hand to his face with a sigh and a shake of his head, then stooped over and picked me up.

* * *

"You're really stupid." Syaoran walked over to the couch where I was sitting, coffees in hand. He set the cups down on the small table and lowered himself onto the sofa next to me.

"I know," I murmured.

There was an awkward moment of silence as we both looked away from each other.

_Why is it like this? _I asked myself. _It was never like this before. I guess it's because I haven't seen him in so long. Eight months . . . that's a long time . . . _

I realized that I really had been insensitive earlier. His eyes had been longing for me to just hug him or hold his hand or anything, but I was all caught up in Yelan and Minghua's issues and I didn't really pay him any attention.

I whipped my head around and said, a little too loudly, "I'm sorry, Syaoran—" at the same time he started to say, "Look, I—"

We both cut ourselves off mid-sentence and I stared at him as he locked his gaze with mine. I felt myself falling into those eyes and forgetting everything around me. I hadn't seen those amber eyes in _eight months. _I was involuntarily leaning towards him, melting into his body. I just barely noticed him coming towards me, too.

My hands reached up and my fingers held his face, absorbing the feel of his warm skin. I felt his hand cup my cheek and I sucked in a breath as a tingling sensation ran along the surface of my skin. When his lips pressed against mine, I had the overwhelming need to just stay in his arms forever. I stretched my arms out further and knotted my fingers into his hair, pulling me closer to him. His arms, corded with muscle, locked me against his body.

Suddenly, thoughts started trailing into my head. _His _thoughts. What he was thinking right at that moment, his apology, his insecurities, his worries, his relief, his love. I knew that the thoughts in my own mind were mixing into his head as well, and neither of us needed to explain anything in words. I knew that he was sorry for getting angry with me, that it was just because he felt a little insecure after eight months. He'd even gone as far as thinking I didn't like him anymore, which made me giggle a little internally. I heard him think about how elated he was that he was finally back, that we were finally together again and with a proper reunion.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to two cell phones simultaneously ringing. I swore lightly to myself and rolled to the edge of the bed, peering over the side at my bag. There was a bright white light illuminating the inside of it, signalling that it was receiving a call. I reached down and dug it out of the purse, hit talk, and answered with a groggy, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Sakura." It surprised me to hear Yelan's voice on the other end. Eyes widened, I took the phone away from my ear to look at the Caller ID; it was a blocked number. I pressed it back against my ear.

"Good morning, Li-san," I responded, sitting upright as I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. "What is it?"

I heard her sharply intake her breath. "Minghua and I would like to speak to you and Syaoran this afternoon—speaking of which, why isn't Syaoran answering his phone?"

As if on cue, the ring tone that had finally faded started up again. I glanced over my shoulder at Syaoran, whose face was shoved underneath his pillow. I whipped my hand out and slapped his bare shoulder, and I got only a groan in response.

"He's refusing to wake up, the strippers will have to wait," I said loudly, almost shouting. I looked over at him again, and he was peeking up at me with wide eyes. I smirked at him. "Sorry about that, but I succeeded in waking him."

Syaoran cursed under his breath and aggressively snatched his phone off the nightstand beside him. He grumbled a greeting and I went back to my own conversation.

"We're going to meet because we'd like to talk to Syaoran about his future," Yelan continued.

I bit my lip. "I see."

"Meet us at the café we were in yesterday at twelve o'clock. All right, Sakura?"

"Sure," I confirmed, casting a quick glance at the digital clock beside Syaoran. Ten twenty two. "We'll see you there."

I hung up just after Syaoran did, and stood up, stretching. I started towards the door and noticed Syaoran receding into the covers again.

"Hey," I scolded, leaning against the door frame. "You can't go back to sleep now, we have to meet them at noon."

He mumbled something unintelligible. I rolled my eyes and turned away. With a dramatic sigh, I said, "Well, I guess I'll have to shower all by myself then." I sighed theatrically again. I stopped halfway down the hall and looked back. He was right on my heels, grinning down at me. I snorted and grabbed his hand.

* * *

Minghua and Yelan were at the shop before we got there, as was expected. They were sitting in the same table Minghua and I had been at the day before. Yelan noticed us and smiled up at me; I noticed she was shifting in her seat, as was he. It looked like they were thirteen again, hanging out with their crush. Like if they touched one another they'd get burned.

I slid into the seat across from Syaoran's mother, and he threw himself into the chair next to me.

"Thank you for coming," Yelan started with another smile. I mirrored her smile.

"So," Syaoran said, "my future, huh? Here to drag me back to Hong Kong?" He glared at his father, daggers shooting from his ice-cold eyes. Minghua's gaze was equally as cool. He leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest, keeping his eyes locked with his son's.

"Minghua and I decided to inquire what it is, exactly, that _you _would like to do in your future?" Yelan asked uneasily, sensing the tension. I myself was winding a lock of my hair around my finger uncomfortably.

"I want to be a singer," Syaoran replied coolly.

I heard Minghua mutter, "Ridiculous," but I cut in quickly.

"Actually," I jumped in, "he already has a deal with a record company. Some of his band's songs are playing on the radio. They're actually pretty popular. It's just that they had to take a hiatus because of Syaoran's going to Hong Kong."

"I was writing while I was there, too, though. I've got some new songs for us to test out," Syaoran offered quietly.

I cast a small smile at him; for this to work, he had to contribute to the conversation, too. And he had to do it well.

"My friends, Kero and Yue, the pop duo sensation, are backing him as well. So really, it won't take long for his band to get off the ground," I went on, feeling a ball of excitement inflating in my stomach. Yelan's eyes were shining, like she was proud of her son. Minghua looked thoughtful, though his expression remained sour.

"I think that's wonderful," Yelan said, putting her chin in her palm.

I looked over at her companion hopefully. "What do you think, Minghua?"

Syaoran and Minghua were still shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. Syaoran's jaw was working and Minghua's leg was bouncing up and down. I grit my teeth frustratedly and abruptly got to my feet, slamming my hands down on the table. Everyone turned their eyes to me.

"You two are acting like children!" I nearly yelled. "Suck it up and reconcile! You can work out a compromise that works for both of you!"

A silence hung in the air at our table. Yelan was looking worried, and Syaoran and his father looked guarded.

"Compromise?" Minghua questioned gruffly.

"Yeah, like, you support Syaoran's band and he'll promote your company, that kind of stuff!" I suggested, gesturing wildly with my hands.

Another silence. Yelan and Minghua exchanged a glance and slight tilts of their heads. Syaoran kept his eyes on his father, but stole a look at me as well.

"That . . . that actually sounds reasonable," Minghua declared, sounding kind of taken aback.

My lips parted slightly in surprise; they actually liked that idea? I'd just spouted it out in an attempt to get them thinking.

"I don't want to advertise your stupid—" Syaoran started saying, but I reached behind his head and yanked a chunk of his hair roughly. He swore in pain and then finally made real eye contact with me. I gave him a look that stared into his soul, and he sighed. "All right. That sounds okay."

A third uneasy silence blanketed the four of us. I realized I was still standing and sat down again. I examined the table and guessed what they were thinking.

"This means you won't bug Syaoran anymore," I said pointedly at Minghua. "You've nearly ruined both of us and our friends multiple times. Promise you won't go to psycho extremes to try and make Syaoran come be your heir in Hong Kong. Don't bother him about that at all anymore. You know it only makes him want to rebel even more."

Minghua closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with a resigned sigh. There was a long pause. "Fine," he said finally, opening his eyes and looking directly at Syaoran, whose fists were clenched under the table.

"And you, Syaoran," I continued, speaking more softly now, "you won't bash the Li company. You'll help it in the public, as you'll be receiving support from it. The media will know that you're Li Minghua's son as well, and familial problems in that media might cause trouble. So you two have to be on good terms."

He gave a noncommittal shrug.

I pursed my lips. "Shake on it."

They looked up at me questioningly. "Shake on it," I repeated. "Hell, spit shake, I don't care. As long as you do it and promise you'll both keep up your end of the bargain."

After a moment of hesitation, Minghua offered his hand. Syaoran stared at it, looking like his brain was working a mile a minute until he suddenly spoke to me.

"He's put us through so much hell, Sakura," he said quietly. "Are we really giving in so easy?"

I reached over and rested my hand on his thigh, meeting his gaze. "The problem escalated because you were in love with me. That's what pissed him off—the whole thought of love." Snatching a glance at Minghua, I saw that he was staring fixedly at the tabletop. Even then he seemed uncomfortable at the thought of it. "But now that problem's being patched up. It won't be completely repaired for a long time, Syaoran, maybe not ever. But this is the first step. You guys could even be a family again, soon enough."

"We're not—we're not—back together or anything," Yelan stammered, her porcelain complexion stained by a blush.

A corner of my mouth quirked up at her reaction; Minghua was blushing too, holding his hand up to his face to hide it.

"See?" I encouraged, squeezing Syaoran's leg. "You just have to try, too. If everyone really and truly wants to forgive and forget, then it can happen. And everyone can live happily, right?" Syaoran looked ready to argue again. I leaned in closer to him and my voice became a whisper. "You couldn't even dream of an ending as happy as this could be a week ago. A year ago. Forever ago. But it's possible now. Happiness. You just have to reach out and grab it. Like, literally." I beamed at him, and his expression softened. "You're the one that's gonna make it happen."

The next thing I knew, he had his lips pressed lightly against mine. He pulled away and looked into my eyes again. "It's not me. It's you, Sakura. You're making my family whole again. If anyone else had come up to me and said they'd sew my family back together, I'd have punched them in the face and burned my cigarette into their forehead to remind them of their stupidity. But you . . ." He shook his head, a blissful smile breaking out on his lips. "It's like anything is possible with you, Sakura."

My cheeks tingled with heat and I had to bite back my goofy grin. Syaoran turned back to his father and thrust his hand out. They shook hands firmly, nodding at the same time and exchanging a look that I couldn't quite decipher. I looked at Yelan and smiled. It was finally over.

* * *

Outside the coffee shop, we were saying our goodbyes to Yelan and Minghua. They would be heading back to Hong Kong in a few days.

As Yelan and Syaoran talked, Minghua stepped over to me.

"I've done terrible things to you and my son," he said brusquely. "And I want you to know how deeply sorry I am for it. You . . ." He shook his head, as if in disbelief. "You're an amazing girl, Sakura. You can turn any rotten apple into a good one. You've proved that love is real. It's true. You solved a problem that had been simmering for almost two decades. You've—" he shrugged, almost speechless "—you've reunited a family. In fact, I'm going to call Daisuke and invite him for dinner in our hotel room tonight. Maybe . . ." He ran his palm over his head, looking bashful. "Maybe we can all eat together at Christmas. Twenty years ago, that was my dream. My vision. That my whole family would eat together and be happy, especially at a time like Christmas. And now, with every thanks to you, that dream can come true."

I smiled up at him, feeling tears sting the backs of my eyes. "That's so beautiful, Minghua," I whispered, momentarily forgetting any respectful terms. But he didn't seem to mind. Then I realized what he'd said. "Did you say that you and Yelan are sharing a hotel room?"

His cheeks tinged pink and he glanced away, looking back at Yelan. "We've decided to stay married for the company's sake, and for media purposes." He let out a dejected sigh. "But I don't think we can ever go back to what we were before."

"Don't think like that," I scolded immediately. "Of course you can. I know you both want to, so that right there tells you that it's possible. All you have to do is talk. Talk a lot. About your problems, about what you love about each other. Make sure nothing like what happened all those years ago will ever happen again. Be happy."

His face melted into a smile. It was definitely the first genuine smile I'd seen him give in the time that I'd known him. In fact, it was probably the first genuine smile anyone had ever seen on him in over fifteen years. He took me by surprise when he stretched his arms out and hugged me.

"Thank you so much for everything, Sakura," he whispered. "I can never repay you, or make up for what I've done. But _I'm sorry. _And _thank you._"

"You better be sorry. And you're welcome," I added, my lips curving into a contented smile.

He pulled away and made his way back to Yelan. He held out his hand and Syaoran grasped it, though he was hesitant. Yelan suddenly turned to me and walked swiftly towards me, happiness bubbling in her eyes. I opened my mouth to say my goodbyes to her, but she embraced me in a hug before I could even begin.

"I haven't shown so much emotion in, what, seventeen years? Now it's all just boiling to the surface!" she giggled, and when she let me go I saw tears in the corners of her eyes. She was smiling gleefully, and it made me grin, as well. "Farewell, Sakura. I hope that we will see you soon. I think we will, actually. I have in mind a big family dinner that you are certainly invited to."

I laughed. "Thank you. I'll be looking forward to it."

Her eyes locked with mine, and I felt like they were looking deep inside of me. She cupped a hand gently over my cheek. "You are beautiful, Sakura, inside and out." I blushed. She planted a kiss on my cheekbone that made me blush more. "Goodbye for now. Oh, and thank you for giving life to the possibility of reviving my marriage," she added with a wink as she turned away. I could only smile in response.

When the limo that had come to pick them up finally drove away, Syaoran was standing beside me. He laced his fingers with mine.

"Well," I breathed, "your parents love me now."

He chuckled, but didn't say anything. I frowned, finding that odd. A Syaoran with nothing to say? I glanced up at him. "Is something wrong?"

He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, and I saw the red rimming his eyes. My lips parted in bewilderment when I saw the moisture building up and threatening to drip over his eyelashes.

"Syaoran!" My voice was incredulous. "You're crying!"

He looked like he wanted to deny it, but his voice cracked and he choked when he tried and he cut himself off. He shook his head and dragged his hand down his face. Then he surprised me again by kissing me.

A giggle bubbled up in my confusion. "What are you doing?"

"You don't know how much I appreciate you, Sakura," he murmured, pushing a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "You turned my life around."

"Oh, come on," I said softly, blood pooling at my cheeks. "Don't flatter me. You know I know you love me. And I know you know I love you. A lot."

"But you don't understand that . . . I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I wouldn't be thinking about the next time I'd see my family, I wouldn't be standing here with a high school diploma, I wouldn't be—"

I reached up and touched the bandage over his eye. "You wouldn't be part blind," I suggested.

"I'd probably be worse. And it wouldn't be just temporary. I'd probably be trying to take on some guy six times my size. I'd probably be unleashing my anger on everything by this point. I'd be in jail, for all I know." He touched my jaw lightly, and sparks ran through my body. "But I'm not. And what's more, I have the woman I love standing beside me, loving me back, and we're allowed to show it in the open now."

My heart swelled at the realization and it caused me to gasp. "We are," I whispered. "We can show it in the open now." I kissed him. "I love you, Syaoran. My life would be so different if it wasn't for you, as well. I'd probably still be with Ayumu. That pathetic little son of a—"

Syaoran threw his head back and laughed. "You're right." His voice softened again. "You're right."

He bent down and pressed his lips against mine again, and I pulled him against me, pushing back hard. I felt like my lips would be swollen after this kiss; this kiss was so . . . so amazing. It was unlike any other kiss we'd shared—it was like it was declaring that this was a new beginning for us. And it was.

Eventually we needed to tear away from each other to get more air. I was giggling and breathing heavily, my arm linked with Syaoran's. When I'd caught my breath again, though my heart was still beating incredibly fast, I looked up at Syaoran. His eyes met mine and the world melted away. It was just like when we'd first met, when we were arguing. He'd refused to take his legs off the desk, so I'd pushed him over. Then he'd refused to call me "sensei" so I gave him a death glare—or tried to, at least. It turned into that gaze, the first time I'd ever experienced that wonderful sensation of drowning in his eyes. We'd had no idea what was waiting for us in the future back then. We'd just been creeped out, really. Then it started happening again and again until we were getting closer and falling in love. All the troubles we went through . . . Ayumu, Satan, "the prophecy," the school board, Minghua, our own stubbornness (especially mine, I'll admit). It was all worth it. And it all started with the same gaze I was locked in now.

Only now, it was different—I didn't have to be afraid of being seen. I didn't have to feel guilty. I didn't have to tear myself away from what I desired the most. I didn't have to pull away. I could . . . I could just . . .

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him hard yet again. When he started turning an unhealthy shade of purpley-blue, I giggled and let go. He immediately drew in a breath and eyed me sharply as I laughed. "Funny for you," he grumbled, rubbing his neck.

Grinning, I grabbed a hold of his hand and dragged him in the direction of an ice cream shop.

"Where are we going?" Syaoran asked.

"To get ice cream," I replied with a smile.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on other things?"

"Yes."

"Like my band?"

"Yes."

"Like getting your job at Tomoeda High back?"

"Yes."

"Like getting my injuries checked out?"

"Yes."

"But we're going to get ice cream."

After all, our problems were pretty much gone. He was graduated. His parents had reconciled. "The prophecy" had been fulfilled. Ayumu was out of the picture. Meiling wasn't after him anymore. We were at home, and happy, and so were our friends.

I turned around to face him; he was already grinning as much as I was. He squeezed my hand intimately and at the same time we said, "Yes."

* * *

**Well . . . that's it folks. O.O It feels kinda strange. I've been working on this story for over TWO YEARS. And now it's come to an end. Unless, of course, you want that epilogue. But anyways, wow. I remember when I first started this fic it was the one that was the most fun to write. Then I started wavering with the storyline and added magic and all the weird crap—but I think in the end, I did a pretty good job with this story. I really wanna thank everyone who's been reviewing and reading this story, whether it's from the beginning or if you started halfway through. (yingfa07 especially—you've been reading AND reviewing every chapter since the beginning! You're awesome!) I'm really happy that I was able to entertain so many people with my writing for so long, and I hope you'll continue to read my other fics. And then there's also that idea I had of maybe making another fic like this one without magic. Things could get switched up there; Syaoran could be the teacher, Syaoran could be the one that's already in a relationship, Sakura could be the badass, one of them could actually be married, any amount of things could happen. No guarantees on that fic happening but I promise you if I do make it, it'll be good. In fact, you can inbox me if you want me to keep you posted on that, and if I do make a fic like that, I'll PM so you know for sure. ;) Inbox or review your ideas on that new fic too, if you want. Reader ideas are always helpful. **

**So yeah…please, drop me a review! Tell me what you thought of the story over all, didja like it, didja not, was it good with magic, would it have been better without magic—now's the time to let it all out! As well as telling me whether or not you want an epilogue!**

**Also, sorry for any confusion with the scene-splitters, I used to use dashes but then the site was like "LOL JK you can't use them!" And deleted them all. I think I filled them all in with the line thingies, but I just figured I'd say that. :P **

**Thank you all so much for your support! I hope you enjoyed this ride as much as I did, I may or may not be back with an epilogue. ;D **


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